


i need to be right where you are

by trishapocalypse



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Cheating, Emotional Manipulation, I REPEAT THERE IS INFIDELITY AND CHEATING IN CASE THAT WASNT CLEAR, Infidelity, M/M, Past Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles, Rimming, Sweet Home Alabama AU, boys being stupid, boys being stupid in love because love makes people selfish and stupid, does that cover it??, lirry endgame, lying, mentioned: liam/zayn and niall/gemma and niall/josh, poor delicate louis gets his feelings hurt because that needs a tw now apparently, unhappy ending for louis but happy ending for Liam and harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 02:21:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1881486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trishapocalypse/pseuds/trishapocalypse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I just never thought you’d marry Louis. I always thought it’d be…” she trailed off.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Harry looked down at his hands. “Liam and I didn’t work out. He didn’t want—“</i>
</p><p> <i>“He wanted, Harry,” Gemma interrupted. “But that’s neither here nor there. If you’re sure you want to marry Louis, you have my support, okay?”</i></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(Or: a loosely-based Sweet Home Alabama AU where Harry's engaged to Louis and still in love with Liam and everything goes to hell.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	i need to be right where you are

**Author's Note:**

> **Again:** this work contains infidelity, and since I've been accused of not tagging it at all, which is false considering it is the very first tag I created, I wanted to reiterate that there is a plethora of infidelity, cheating, and emotional manipulation throughout the fic. This is not a typical story; it's about flawed humans and flawed relationships, which exist in every day life. You're not supposed to like all of the characters, and you might not even like the ending. However, this is a work of fiction, and it was written as a gift for someone, therefore it is in line with what _she_ wanted out of the fic. If you feel any other tags should be added, please comment and let me know and I will decide whether or not to include them; I'm refraining from adding too many because I personally feel I've covered them all pretty well. This does not reflect my personal biases or opinions regarding certain characters; this is purely a work of _fiction_ and it should be regarded as such. I feel I must conclude with the typical "don't like it, don't read" mantra. Thank you.
> 
> tumblr: @trishanthemum

_”Liam, fuck, harder, I—“_

_Liam gripped Harry’s hips tighter, fucking into him harder, loving the breathy little moans escaping his lips._

_“Liam,” Harry whined, head falling forward._

_Liam slid a hand up Harry’s spine, pushing his shoulders further down towards the mattress. Harry went pliant under his hand, fingers wrapping around the wrought-iron bars on the headboard as Liam fucked deeper into him._

_“I’m gonna—“_

Harry startled awake to the sound of his alarm tone, something obnoxious—probably marimba because Louis had a horrible sense of humor—and he cursed because, ugh, Monday. Though, all right, Mondays weren’t normally horrible. Harry was pretty lucky because it was May, which meant classes were done for a few months and he had some time off; he spent most of the year teaching law at a university in London. It was the first summer he was actually taking _off,_ and he was already looking forward to three months without having to set an alarm unless absolutely necessary. 

He shut off his alarm and pushed his mobile underneath the pillow, wishing that he could go back to sleep, but he couldn’t. He pushed his curls out of his eyes and frowned because— _Liam._ It had been years—or maybe just one year—since he had actually dreamt about him and, fuck, he wasn’t prepared for that. It had been—It had been forever since he’d dreamt about Liam or thought about Liam or…anything regarding Liam, if he was being honest. And for a reason—he hadn’t even seen Liam in almost five years and… 

Five years. 

His mobile went off again and he groaned, digging it out from under his pillow to see Louis’ name flashing across the screen. He felt himself smile despite it all and he tucked the mobile between his ear and shoulder. “Hi, Lou.”

_”Hello, husband.”_

“Fiancé,” Harry corrected with a laugh.

_”Yeah, yeah, whatever—husband by the end of the year. Is that better?”_

“Much,” he agreed with a nod. “What’s going on?”

_”Are you out of bed yet?”_

Harry paused.

_”Knew it. Get up, Hazza. Ya’ve got to get on the road soon, yeah?”_

He groaned. “I know. I will.”

_”I made sure you’re all packed. Now get up, yeah? I’ve got to get back on set. Text me when you get on the road. I love you.”_

“Love you, too, Lou,” Harry said, hanging up his mobile and resting it on the pillow beside him. He allowed himself five more minutes of silent wallowing in the misery of Liam taking over his brain again. And, no, he wasn’t going to do _that._ He wasn’t; it wasn’t even an option. He hadn’t seen Liam in years, and he wasn’t going to dwell on it. With a huff, Harry climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and started getting all of his stuff together. He had a three-hour drive ahead of him to clear his thoughts. As he finished packing up his satchel, the light caught on the white gold of the ring wrapped around his finger on his left hand, and he sighed. 

Telling his family that he was getting married shouldn’t have been making him so nervous. And it wasn’t, not really. It was more about going _home._ He hadn’t been back to Holmes Chapel in years. And he should’ve been looking forward to seeing his family the most, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his head saying that maybe, _maybe_ he was more excited about the possibility of seeing Liam than anything else. 

 

+

 

(Harry met Liam when he was five years old. It was the classic story, honestly, Liam was the new kid in town; he lived two blocks away from Harry in the small town. When their mothers became friends, the rest was history—Liam’s older sisters got along with Gemma, and Harry got along with Liam. They were best mates throughout school, throughout everything, and it was only natural for their friendship to evolve. Liam was Harry’s first everything—friend, kiss, boyfriend, and fuck; by the time they were sixteen, they were hopelessly in love. 

Harry never had an existential identity crisis when it came to his sexuality; he knew he was in love with Liam in the same way that he knew the grass was green or the sky was blue—it was natural, something he couldn’t argue with, something he just _accepted._ And Liam, he was unsure at first—he was the sporty kid who struggled, just a little bit more, but he embraced it in the same way that Harry embraced him every morning, with reckless abandon and a little bit of excitement. 

But it was expected, honestly, their families barely even reacted. Harry and Liam were never just Harry and Liam, they were _Harry and Liam._ And when Harry had told Liam that he wanted to finish law school in London, where he had gotten an internship, that was when it all started to fall apart.)

 

+

 

_”You just want to leave? You want to leave Holmes Chapel, and you want to leave me, for an internship in London?”_

_Harry sighed, shaking his head. “No, Li. I want you to come **with** me,” he told him, reaching for his hand._

_Liam jerked away. “You just—You sound like you’ve already made up your mind,” he said softly._

_“I haven’t,” Harry insisted._

_Liam glanced down at the table, where Harry’s acceptance letter sat, along with a letter regarding his scholarships and tuition. He fiddled through the papers, little notes falling out about flats near the campus, near the law office, and he laughed softly. “You sure?”_

_“I just… I was exploring all options,” he whispered._

_“We always said—“ Liam cut himself off._

_“I—I want to be a lawyer, Li.”_

_“You can finish your schooling up here, work at the little office with Mr. Hayes—“_

_“Don’t you want to…get out there and see the world? Don’t you want to see more than just Holmes Chapel?” Harry asked softly._

_Liam paused. “No,” he said earnestly. “I’m… I love it here. I love being here with you. Isn’t that—Isn’t that enough?”_

_“Yes,” Harry told him. “It **is,** but—“_

_“There’s always a but,” Liam grumbled._

_“This could be really good for us, Liam. If I do well at this internship, I can get a good job in the city, I can make enough—“_

_“So it’s about money? I know I’m not rich, Harry, I know I don’t make much—“_

_“It’s not about the money, Liam—“_

_“I **like** being a firefighter, Harry. I’m **good** at it. Why is this not enough for you?”_

_Harry opened his mouth to reply, but he paused. “It is, Liam. But I just…”_

_“You want more.”_

_Harry nodded and looked down at his feet, avoiding Liam’s eyes completely. “I love you, Liam. You’re—You’re everything, you know? But if I don’t go, I’m going to regret it, and I’ll resent you for it,” he explained slowly. “This is a great opportunity.”_

_“You’re right. It is,” Liam whispered. “You should go.”_

_“I—Really, Li?” Harry asked with a small grin. “You’ll go with me?”_

_Liam shook his head. “ **You** should go,” he repeated._

_The smile fell from Harry’s face, and he shook his head. “Li, I—I want you to go **with** me.”_

_“I’m not going with you, Harry,” Liam told him. “But it’s a great opportunity. And you’re brilliant, Harry. You should—You should go.”_

_“Liam,” Harry started with a sniffle. “You don’t—Will you—“ He sighed, running his hand under his nose. “It’s only two years,” he reasoned, more with himself than anyone else. “Will you—Will you be here when—“_

_“I’ll be here, but I won’t—I can’t…wait for you, Harry,” he mumbled. “That’s not fair.”_

_“I—“ Harry stopped and nodded, telling himself not to cry, though the tears were already threatening to spill past his eyes._

_Liam sighed. “You have to choose, Harry. You can go to London, take this internship, or…” he shrugged, “or stay here with me.”_

 

+

 

Harry ran a hand over his face as he passed the sign that welcomed him back to Holmes Chapel, and his felt his heart speed up in his chest. The nerves were setting in as he passed the familiar streets, and it wasn’t long until he was driving by Liam’s old house. Everything looked the same, and Harry had to shake his head in order to bring him back to reality. It took less than five minutes until he was pulling into his old driveway, cutting the engine and sucking in a deep breath. 

He hadn’t been back home in over two years, and then it was only for the night, and he hadn’t seen his family in six months, and he was nervous. Harry found himself fidgeting with the ring on his finger as he climbed out of the car, He reached into the back seat for his satchel, tossing the strap over his shoulder, and he walked up to the door. He let himself in and barely had time to register the smell of his mum’s cooking before a shrill scream nearly deafened his ears and arms were around his shoulders. 

“I missed you, bro,” Gemma whispered in his ear, hugging him tightly before pulling away. 

Harry laughed, setting his bag on the hardwood floor, and he pressed a kiss to his sister’s cheek. “I missed you, too, Gem. Where’s mum?”

Gemma pulled back and slapped Harry’s shoulder. “It’s been months, you wanker!”

“Where’s mum?” Harry asked again with a grin, rubbing his shoulder where Gemma had slapped him. 

“Kitchen.”

Harry nodded and walked through the house, nudging open the door to the kitchen, and he smiled widely when he saw his mum standing by the stove. He walked over to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms, thankful that she still smelled the same—sugar and faintly of flowers; it was familiar and warm. 

“Oh, my baby boy,” Anne said softly, running her hands over his back. She pulled away and looked at him up and down. “Have you gotten bigger?”

“Maybe around the waist,” he told her with a grin. 

“No, you still look like you’re in need of a good meal,” Anne replied. “Sit, sit, I’ll get you lunch. Are you hungry? How was the drive?”

“I’m starved,” Harry said, pulling out a stool by the island counter and sitting down. “The drive was long. I’m just glad to be here.”

“I made a fry-up. How much do you want?”

“As much as you can give me.”

“Save some for me,” Gemma said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down next to Harry. 

“I miss your fry-ups,” Harry told her quietly.

Gemma threw an arm around her brother’s shoulders, resting her chin on his arm. “I’m glad you’re back. Even if it’s only for a few days.”

Harry smiled, resting his head against Gemma’s. 

“You never did tell us why you were visiting,” Anne commented, setting up two plates and setting them in front of her children.

“I—“

“What the hell is this?” Gemma asked, reaching for Harry’s left hand and holding it up. Her fingers instantly found the band of white gold around his ring finger and she pointed at it. “Harry—“

“Are you married?!” Anne asked loudly, nearly dropping the spatula in her hand.

“No, I’m not married,” Harry said quickly, pulling his hand out of Gemma’s. “I’m…getting married.”

Anne set the spatula down in the sink and walked over to Harry, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “My little boy is getting married,” she mused softly.

“To who?” Gemma asked.

Harry looked over at her, frowning. “To my boyfriend?”

“Louis?” she asked, pursing her lips.

“Yeah, who—who else would I be marrying?” Harry said, confused.

Gemma shrugged. 

“What does that mean?” Harry snapped. 

“Nothing, I—“

“Stop, both of you,” Anne said, pressing her lips to Harry’s cheek. “When did this happen?”

“A couple of weeks ago,” he told her with a shrug. “Lou wants to get married in the fall. So I…wanted to tell you…”

“This is so exciting. I can’t wait to tell Robin when he gets home. We should all go out to dinner!” Anne decided. 

Gemma rolled her eyes. “See what you’ve done? You’ve sent mum into a frenzy.”

Harry watched as his mum tittered around the kitchen, muttering to herself, before she slipped out of the room. The kitchen door swung shut behind her and Harry turned to face his sister. “That went…well.”

“I guess,” Gemma said with a shrug.

Harry sighed, reaching up to run his hands over his face. “Alright, Gem, just say it.”

“Say what?”

“I know you want to say _something,_ m’not daft,” he grumbled. “So just say it.”

“Are you sure, Harry? You and Louis haven’t been together that long,” she said quickly. “I just want to make sure that you know what you’re doing.”

“We’ve been together for over a year,” Harry told her.

“So your natural instinct is to marry him? What’s the rush? Are you pregnant?”

Harry sighed. “Yes, I’m pregnant, Gemma. I’m eight months pregnant, and I don’t want my baby daddy leaving me,” he muttered. “No. I want to…be with him. Why else would I marry him?”

“Maybe because you love him?” she suggested.

“I _do_ love him,” Harry insisted.

Gemma pursed her lips again. “Okay.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t understand why you can’t just be happy for me, Gem.”

“I’d be happy for you if I thought you knew what you were doing,” she told him.

“I _do_ know what I’m doing. I’m getting married to Louis, all right? And I would love your support—“

“You have my support, Harry,” Gemma said with a wry grin. “I’m just looking out for you. And—“

“And?”

Gemma sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Tell me,” he insisted.

“You’re not going to like it—“

“ _Tell_ me,” he repeated. 

“I just never thought you’d marry Louis. I always thought it’d be…” she trailed off.

Harry looked down at his hands. “Liam and I didn’t work out.”

“You and Liam _could’ve_ worked out.”

“He didn’t want—“

“He wanted, Harry,” Gemma interrupted. “But that’s neither here nor there. If you’re sure you want to marry Louis, you have my support, okay?”

Harry nodded, but he didn’t quite believe her, not exactly. Well, he believed Gemma, but there was something off about her tone. He looked down at the plate of food his mum had made for him and he pushed it away. “I’m not hungry,” he grumbled, standing up and straightening his jacket. “Tell mum I went out for a bit, yeah?”

“Where are you going?” Gemma asked.

Harry shrugged, stepping out of the kitchen. He heard the door swung shut behind him and he knew that Gemma was following him. “What?” he asked, turning around, digging his keys out of his pocket. 

“Don’t go see him.”

Harry paused. “What?”

“Liam. Don’t go see him. Don’t do that to him,” she said quietly.

“Gemma—“

“You’ve been back once in five years, Harry. I see Liam all the time. I’m asking you to _please_ not do that to him,” she repeated. 

Harry swallowed, fiddling with the keys in his hand. He avoided Gemma’s eyes; he knew she didn’t exactly _blame_ him for what happened with Liam, but he blamed himself. And he wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt, not at all. He just nodded and opened the front door, stepping out and getting behind the wheel of his Range Rover. Even though he hadn’t been back in Holmes Chapel for years, he still knew his way around, and he didn’t know how he ended up pulling into the drive of Liam’s house, but he did. 

He looked at the two story house with a heavy heart, knowing that the only reason Liam still lived there was because his parents had passed away three years before, leaving the house to Liam, while his sisters still lived on the other side of town. Harry never would forgive himself for not coming to see Liam after it happened—a phone call only did so much; he should’ve been there for Liam. 

Harry jerked when he saw a shadow move past the window, pausing slightly, and he cursed. There was no way he would’ve been able to leave; Liam wasn’t blind, he would’ve noticed that there was a car in his drive, that it was Harry. He glanced down at the ring on his finger, and he slowly pulled it off, stuffing into the cup holder next to him. Sucking in a deep breath, Harry climbed out of his car and started walking up towards the door. But by the time he got there, it was already open and Liam was standing there, leaning against the doorframe. 

“What are you doing here?” Liam asked softly.

Harry shrugged, hoping he appeared more confident than he felt, because, _fuck,_ Liam’s voice was deeper than he remembered. He hadn’t gotten taller, only broader—quite broad; his shoulders filled out his white t-shirt brilliantly, the front hem tucked into the front of his faded jeans that were slung low across his hips. And Harry drank it in, seeing Liam again for the first time, from the scuffed boots on his feet to his buzzed hair, so different than the curls he had been sporting the last time Harry had seen him. He didn’t—Liam was just— _fuck._

“Harry?”

“Sorry?”

Liam smiled softly; it was barely noticeable, just the corner of his lip twitching upward. “What are you doing here?” he repeated, just as quietly.

“I… Hi.”

Liam looked down for a minute before meeting Harry’s eyes again. “Hi, Harry.”

Harry laughed softly, a little awkward, choking sound, and he reached up to push his hair away from his eyes. “That’s me, yeah,” he mumbled. “Hi, I—I already said that—“

“It’s…been a while,” Liam said finally, choosing his words carefully; Harry looked nervous, a little scared, and Liam would’ve been lying if said he wasn’t feeling the exact same way.

“I…was in town,” Harry said with a shrug. “Thought I’d…stop by… This is weird, innit?”

Liam nodded slowly. “Never thought you’d be here again, if I’m being honest,” he admitted. 

“Can I come in?” Harry asked suddenly, tugging his jacket a little tighter around his waist. 

Liam hesitated, taking in the familiar sight, a nervous Harry trying to hide behind his curls and his dimple. But he was different—taller, leaner, all long limbs and chocolate curls and bright green eyes. London had treated him well, truly, and Liam hardly recognized the boy he had known for most of his life; gone were the baggy jeans that he sported for years, replaced by jeans so tight that Liam was curious as to whether or not he was comfortable and if he could actually _breathe._ But they worked well with the tight plaid button up and Liam could see a smattering of ink across his collarbones where the shirt wasn’t buttoned, and he wondered if Harry was hiding more ink underneath his pea coat, and Liam nodded. He stepped to the side, holding the door open for Harry, catching a whiff of the same cologne that Harry had worn years before, and Liam had to take an extra step back just to create some space between them. 

Harry lingered in the hallway, in front of the stairs, and glanced around the familiar space. He had spent so much time in Liam’s house growing up and it still felt the exact same, the same warm feeling that he usually associated with Liam’s house. “Do you remember when we were playing footie in the hallway, and you kicked too high and your mum’s favorite lamp broke all over the hall over here?” Harry asked, walking over to the little end table and running his hand over the flat surface. “She was so mad I thought she was never going to let me see you again.”

“Wouldn’t have happened if you actually let me teach you how to play,” Liam insisted. “You always were quite awful at sport.”

Harry smiled. “I’m a little better now,” he replied. 

Liam nodded slowly, shutting the front door and leaning against it. It had been years since he’d seen Harry, years since he’d even spoken to him, yet it felt as if nothing had changed. Harry was in front of him, looking impossibly better than anyone should ever have the right to look, and Liam felt that familiar twist in his stomach. And it wasn’t fair, it truly wasn’t, that Harry still had that effect on him even after so many years. 

“You look brilliant, Li,” Harry whispered. “Are you still a—“

“Yeah,” Liam said with a nod. “I’m, uh, actually the Captain.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose. “Wow, Li, that’s—that’s wonderful, truly.”

“Thank you.”

“I, uh. I’m up for partner at the firm I’m with. I teach, too, though I think I like that more than actually practicing,” he told him. 

“Congratulations, Harry,” Liam whispered sincerely. And part of him wished he wasn’t so bloody nice, wished he could ask Harry what he wanted, why he was there, or just to _leave,_ because the air between them was so charged, the sexual tension that obviously still existed between them was almost too much. 

Harry nodded and turned around, walking back over towards the steps and sitting down. “This is where you gave me my first blowjob. Do you remember that?”

“Harry,” Liam choked out, shaking his head. 

Harry ran his hands over the smooth wood of the stairs and looked up at Liam. This wasn’t what he intended, it really wasn’t, but he couldn’t help the onslaught of memories that slapped him in the face the moment he stepped over the threshold of Liam’s house. It was a horrible idea; one of the worst ideas Harry had ever had, actually, to stay in Liam’s house. He knew himself, he knew that he was obviously still attracted to Liam, and. He should’ve left; he should’ve given Liam a smile and walked out of the house, got in his Range Rover, and left, but he didn’t. 

“How long are you staying?”

“I don’t know,” Harry admitted, standing up and taking a step closer to Liam. 

“Why are you back?”

Harry shrugged. “I—I’m sorry I didn’t come to the funeral, Li.”

“Harry, don’t.”

“I should’ve been here. Your parents were… This was my second home. You’re my— _were_ my—“ Harry hesitated. “I should’ve been here.”

“It’s alright, Harry,” Liam told him. “I’m not upset. I never was.”

He nodded slowly because Lam was anything but a liar; he wouldn’t look in Harry’s eyes and lie to him—he never had. Harry took comfort in that, but it didn’t erase the guilt. “Can I—“ he paused because, fuck, was he seriously going to _ask_ if he could hug Liam? That wasn’t—that was _absurd._ He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck, hugging him tightly. They still fit together perfectly, Liam’s arms tight around his waist, and Harry could practically feel Liam’s heart pounding against his chest, and it was a relief to know that they were both just as nervous. 

Liam pulled away slowly, hands still resting on Harry’s hips. “We, um—We should—“

“Liam,” Harry whispered, his eyes searching Liam’s face for something, anything. He subconsciously swayed forward, just a little bit, testing the waters to see if Liam would move, but he didn’t. Harry could’ve sworn that Liam’s grip tightened against him, but he couldn’t prove it. And when Liam’s eyes dropped to Harry’s lips was when he moved in and pressed their lips together. And even though Harry’s brain was screaming at him that it wasn’t right, that he should just _go,_ he didn’t pull away. 

And Liam stopped resisting, because it wouldn’t have done any good anyway. It had been so long since he felt the long line of Harry’s body against his own, and he would’ve said that it felt like nothing had changed, but it had. Because Harry was no longer a scrawny teenager, but neither was Liam. As Harry slipped his fingers into Liam’s hair, slanting their mouths together, Liam slid his hands to the back of Harry’s thighs. Harry’s grip in Liam’s hair tightened and Liam lifted Harry easily, taking two steps forward until Harry’s back came into contact with the wall. Liam barely heard one of picture frames rattle against the wall, and he let out a groan as Harry wrapped his long legs around Liam’s waist. 

Harry could feel the energy in the air change as the kiss turned hot, Liam’s fingers burning against the back of his thighs, and Harry couldn’t remember the last time he felt so _alive._ He pulled away with a whimper, hands falling to Liam’s waist, tugging his shirt out of his jeans. His hands stuttered when Liam’s lips found his neck, biting and sucking against his collarbone, but he steadied himself long enough to pull open Liam’s jeans, scratching down the front of Liam’s hips and sliding his hand into his pants, fingers wrapping around his length. He wasn’t surprised to find Liam hard, hot and heavy in his palm, and he gripped him tightly. 

Liam moaned against Harry’s skin, sliding his hands up Harry’s thighs, over the curve of his arse, to rest against the small of his back. His fingers pressed against the dimples indented at the base of his spine. “Harry—“

“Li, please?” He met Liam’s wide eyes, breathing heavily, and a part of him wondered how Liam was holding him up so effortlessly but, yeah, _firefighter_ (technically _captain_ ) and fuck, shit, that was—that was _hot._

Liam hesitated for a brief moment before he nodded and fit their lips together again. A gasp escaped him as Harry ground their hips together, loosening his hold around Liam’s waist to regain his footing. Liam moved his mouth down to the side of Harry’s neck again, biting at the pale skin briefly before he pulled away. Harry quickly undid his own belt and jeans, pushing them over his hips along with his pants, and he turned, pushing back against Liam’s hips. Liam reached around Harry, gripping his cock tightly, biting back a moan when Harry’s head fell back against his shoulder. 

“Li—“ he sighed.

“Harry, I—I don’t have any—“

“S’fine,” Harry told him, “wanna feel you, want you inside of me, shit.” He reached for Liam’s hand and brought it to his mouth, pulling his fingers between his lips, lapping at them with his tongue. He heard Liam groan in his ear, his breath coming out hot against his neck, and Harry grinned as best as he could, rubbing his arse along the line of Liam’s cock. Harry let Liam’s fingers slip from his mouth and he glanced at Liam over his shoulder, nodding. “M’ready.”

Liam slipped his hand down Harry’s chest, pinching at one of his nipples through his shirt, before reaching to where their bodies met and slipping one finger deep inside of Harry. Harry’s back arched at the sudden movement, a whimper escaping his lips as Liam added another finger quickly, stretching him. Harry’s head fell forward, his hands flat against the wall, and he found it amazing, really, that after so long, Liam still knew his body so well, making him feel in a way that Louis— No, Harry shook his head, hips pushing back against Liam, and his heart jumped to his throat, because _Louis,_ fuck—he was _engaged_ but…Liam. And he just—

“Liam, fuck,” he gasped, stomach tightening when the pads of Liam’s fingers brushed across the little bundle of nerves deep inside of him. “I’m ready.”

He nodded and withdrew his fingers from Harry’s eager body, pausing only when he realized— “Harry, I don’t have a condom,” he told him quietly. 

Harry hesitated. “You don’t—“

Liam shook his head. “No. I didn’t think—“

“S’not like I planned it either,” Harry grumbled. 

“We should—“

“I trust you, Li,” Harry told him, because he _did,_ he trusted Liam implicitly, even after years apart. Because people didn’t really change, not really, they stayed the same—became more set in their ways. And Harry shivered as Liam pushed the hem of his shirt up his back, wincing when Liam slid inside of him, but it was the best ache that Harry had ever felt. 

Liam set the pace quickly, thrusting deep inside of Harry. He gripped Harry’s hips tightly; absorbing the little grunts and little moans that left Harry’s lips, watching as he struggled to catch a grip on the wall and failing. He quickened his movements, nudging against Harry’s prostate easily and, yeah, some things really _didn’t_ change, because he still knew Harry’s body better than he knew his own. And he could see the telltale signs already, the way Harry’s hips stuttered back against his, the flush creeping up the back of his neck, and it was nice because Liam knew he wasn’t going to last long either, embarrassingly enough. 

Harry’s back arched again, dipping into an almost painful curve as Liam fucked into him. He could feel Liam bruising his hips, and as quickly as he thought of Louis, Liam hitting his prostate ripped the thought of his fiancé from his mind. He panted out Liam’s name, feeling his fingers wrap tightly around his cock, tight at the base before sweeping his thumb over the leaking tip. Harry reached behind him, one hand finding Liam’s hip and the other tangling in his short hair; his chest hit the wall, picture frames rattling as Liam fucked deeply inside of him. And when Harry came, it was with a breathless sigh, forehead dropping against the wall; he felt Liam pull out quickly, feeling him release on the small of his back

Liam draped himself over Harry’s back, breathing heavily against his ear. “I’m sorry, I—“

“S’alright, Li,” Harry whispered. 

“I—Let me clean you up,” Liam told him, pulling away. He tugged his shirt over his head and wiped at Harry’s back as best as he could, tugging his plaid shirt back down. “Are you—“

“I’m good,” Harry told him with a small smile, reaching down and pulling his pants and jeans back over his hips, fixing his belt. He turned around slowly, meeting Liam’s eyes as he fixed his own jeans, and then—silence. 

Liam stared down at his feet, wiping his hand off on his jeans. 

“I’ve never not known what to say around you,” he said suddenly. “It’s weird, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed. “I used to think about this—what would happen when we saw each other again. It was all I thought about after you left.”

“I didn’t—“

“You left,” Liam repeated. “And I—I always thought you’d come back, that you’d—that you’d _miss_ me or something—“

“I _did_ miss you, Liam. I missed you every single day,” Harry told him.

“Then why didn’t you come back?” Liam asked.

Harry paused. “I—I don’t know. I was scared, maybe. I was—“ he sighed. “I don’t know what I was.”

“You weren’t here,” Liam muttered. “You should probably go.”

“You want me to go?”

“You should,” Liam told him. “We’ve had enough catching up for one day.”

“Do you _want_ me to go?” Harry asked.

Liam shrugged, taking a step back. “I—I don’t know, Harry. An hour ago, you were the last thing on my mind. And now you’re here, and—I can’t do it,” he told him softly. 

“You want space?”

“Need space,” Liam corrected. 

“Can we—Can we have lunch tomorrow? Or—Or something?”

Liam hesitated but found himself nodding. “I don’t work until three.”

“We can meet at one, at the diner?” Harry asked.

Liam nodded. 

Harry watched Liam for a moment before he nodded himself, exiting Liam’s house as quietly and quickly as he could. He climbed behind the wheel of his Range Rover and made his way back to his mum’s house, where he sat in the drive for a good fifteen minutes before his mobile vibrated. 

_Give your mum my love. I’m gonna try to visit this weekend. Love you babe (: xx_

Harry cursed and let his head fall back against the headrest. He ran his hands over his hair and sighed, shoving his mobile into the pocket of his pea coat. He glanced down and picked up his ring from the cup holder, slipping it onto his finger, and he told himself to man up, to suck it up, and to deal with his actions like an adult. Because, shit, he had just cheated on his _fiancé_ with Liam, the man he had spent the majority of his life with, and—fuck. He had _cheated_ on Louis, and while there was guilt building up in the pit of his stomach, there was a part of him that…didn’t feel bad. Because no matter how much he loved Louis, he could never love him more than he loved Liam, and Harry was fucked—royally fucked. 

 

+

 

Liam’s heart was in his throat the following day as he waited at the diner for Harry. He glanced around and tried not to let the memories consume him. He sat in the same booth, the one that he and Harry had shared for years. It had become _their booth_ years before, when Harry didn’t want to leave Liam to do his homework, so they would stow away in the little back booth, drinking tea and eating their weight in crisps while doing their schoolwork. After Harry had left, Liam rarely went to the diner. It wasn’t the only source of good food in town, so he wasn’t really missing anything except the emotional punch to the gut he received every time he looked around the familiar space. 

It didn’t exactly help that Liam got no sleep the night before. After he had seen Harry, his plans for the day were destroyed. He was going to paint his living room; the faded yellow walls reminded him of the holidays and cooking and his mother, and Liam needed a change. He had even contemplated ringing up Zayn and asking for his help, but he knew Zayn would insist upon a montage or scenery or something else _artsy_ that was just completely Zayn that Liam wouldn’t understand. And a part of him just wanted to do it on his own. But that didn’t happen, because Liam had immediately pulled a beer from his refrigerator and sat down in front of the television, refusing to move the rest of the day. 

It was just— Well, _unexpected_ didn’t even begin to cover it. And he still wasn’t even sure why Harry was _back._ He hadn’t been back in years, not that Liam had actually seen him whenever he was back, but. He wasn’t even sure if he could do it; he didn’t know if he could be in the same room as Harry. Their hookup the day before had been…well, amazing, but also horrible because—Harry left. He had _left_ Holmes Chapel and Liam. And Liam was supposed to be strong, stronger than that, strong enough to not give in. Liam had pictured running into Harry again hundreds of times and, while almost half of those instances ended in sex, most of the time, Liam was yelling—taking out all of his frustration and hurt out on him. But that wasn’t how it ended, and Liam didn’t know what to do, because all of the feelings he had been pushing aside for years were rushing back and it _sucked._

At five past one, Liam dug his mobile out of his pocket and checked his messages. Harry was never late, or, well, he never _used_ to be. But Liam reassured himself that it was only five minutes and that Harry was probably not standing him up—that just wasn’t in Harry’s nature. He thumbed a quick message to Ruth that he would phone her after lunch, and he was jerked out of his reverie by hearing the bells jingle above the door, and Liam looked up just in time to see Harry walking in.

Harry paused in the door, looking around briefly, eyes instantly landing on Liam. He smiled and walked over, sitting down across from Liam and shrugging off his pea coat. “Sorry I’m late,” he told him. “I had to stop by the florist and—“

“The florist?” Liam interrupted with an incredulous stare. “Why were you at the florist?”

Harry paused, his smile fading just slightly. “Um, just…had some stuff to look at—doesn’t matter,” he said with a shrug. 

“Oh, alright.”

“Then I had to shake off Gemma and—well, that took a bit longer than I thought. But I’m here,” he told him with a smile. “How are you?”

Liam shrugged. “I’m good. Why did you have to shake off Gemma?”

Harry hesitated again. “She wouldn’t think that…my having lunch with you is a good idea,” he whispered. 

“She’s not the only one,” he muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“Just… Maybe it isn’t a good idea?” Liam questioned. 

“Then why did you agree to it?” Harry asked, resting his elbows on the table and leaning over a little closer to Liam. 

Liam shrugged. “Because I’ve never been good at saying no to you,” he admitted. 

Harry didn’t respond for a moment before reaching out to trace his fingers over the back of Liam’s hand, over his knuckles and towards his wrist. “Thank you for meeting me.”

Liam nodded and let Harry turn his hand over, lacing their fingers together, and it was true—Liam couldn’t say no. He couldn’t tell Harry to stop; he couldn’t tell Harry not to touch him, because he wanted it. He had never stopped wanting it, to be fair, and time didn’t change that; nothing ever would. 

 

+

 

“Mum’s out with Robin so it’s just you and me for supper,” Gemma announced as she flitted into the living room, smacking Harry on the back of the head as she rounded the couch, sitting down next to him.

Harry pouted, reaching up to rub at the back of his head. “Why did ya do that?”

She shrugged. “Why not?”

Harry rolled his eyes.

“I was thinking pizza and a heartfelt conversation about your future spouse?” she offered.

“Why do you wanna talk about Louis?”

“He’s gonna be my brother-in-law, why wouldn’t I want to talk about him?” she asked.

Harry hesitated. “You always have an agenda, is all I’m sayin.”

“So pizza?”

“Burgers and chips,” he told her with a shrug. “I eat enough pizza in the city. Lou’s obsessed with a new parlor down the road from our flat.”

Gemma curled her lip. “You don’t cook anymore?”

“Sometimes,” Harry told her. “Not enough time, really. He’s on set at weird hours, so I never know when he’s gonna be home.”

“You love cooking.”

“I know,” he replied. 

Gemma watched her brother for a moment, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, and he just didn’t seem _happy._ He was smiling and laughing and acting normally, but—Gemma knew him, knew Harry better than anyone, and he wasn’t happy. She watched as Harry ran his fingers through his curls and she frowned, instantly reaching for his left hand. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring?”

Harry jerked his hand away from hers quickly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Took it off while I was washing my hands,” he told her. “Must’ve forgotten to put it back on.”

Gemma pursed her lips and nodded. “Where’s your ring?”

“M’not a girl, Gem, I don’t have to wear my ring to signify my engagement every moment of the bloody day,” he muttered.

Gemma didn’t blink. “Where’s your ring?” she repeated. 

Harry sighed. “It’s in my car. I’ll get it later.”

“Harry, why aren’t you wearing your ring?” she asked.

“I—“

“You didn’t want someone to see you wearing it. Did you go see Liam?”

“How did—“

“I knew it!” Gemma yelled, reaching over and grabbing Harry’s shoulders, shaking him. “Why did you go see Liam? I bloody told you not to!”

Harry groaned and reached for her wrists, stopping her from shaking him. “Are you quite finished?”

“No,” she told him, slapping him on the chest. “You’re a wanker. I told you not to, and you did anyway. Why did you go see him?”

“Leave it alone, Gem,” he grumbled, standing up and running his hands through his hair again. 

“Harry—“

“Can you just order supper while I shower?”

“Harry—“

“Leave it alone,” he repeated before making his way up the stairs. He could still hear Gemma yelling behind him but he ignored it, needing some silence, needing to just…step away for a few minutes. He showered in silence, washing his hair at least twice before using his sister’s body wash. By the time he emerged from the shower, his skin was pink and his fingertips were pruned, but the past two days weren’t forgotten. He knew he was stupid for coming home, for going to visit Liam, but since he was back in Holmes Chapel, he couldn’t _stop_ himself. He glanced down at his bare ring finger, just staring; he’d been wearing Louis’ ring for long enough, his hand just looked odd without the white gold. He was shaken out of his reverie by his mobile ringing, Louis’ name and picture flashing on the screen, and he sucked in a deep breath before he answered. “Hey, Lou.”

_”Hey, babe. How’s home?”_

Harry shrugged, wrapping a towel around his waist. “Alright, I guess. Nothing’s really changed. How are you? You sound tired.”

_”Yeah, gotta film late. One of the lights broke or part of the set broke, I’m not sure. Either way, it’ll be a late night. But I do have good news!”_

“Yeah?”

_”Yeah, I’ll be able to come up by Friday night. That is, if Anne and Robin are alright with another visitor?”_

Harry laughed softly. “M’sure they’ll be fine with it, Lou. My mum’s proper excited. We went to the florist today and everything.”

_”Yeah? We still getting calla lilies?”_

“I thought you were alright with frangipanis?” Harry asked.

Louis sighed. _”Harry, we—Wait, shit, I gotta go. We’ll talk about this later, alright? You didn’t pay for anything yet, did you?”_

Harry rolled his eyes. “No.”

_”Great. Then I still have time to talk you into calla lilies. I’ll see you Friday. Love you, babe.”_

“Love you, too,” Harry said quietly before hanging up his mobile and sighing. He ran his hands through his curls before walking out of the bathroom and into his childhood bedroom, pulling on a pair of jeans and a jumper. He slid into his boots and shoved his mobile into his pocket, needing…just needing to get _out._ He bounced down the stairs and paused outside the living area where Gemma was fixing up the coffee table with styrofoam boxes of food. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Gem.”

Gemma turned around and frowned. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“I need air,” Harry told her, shaking his head. “I won’t be long.”

“The food just got here—“

“I know. I won’t be long,” he repeated quietly.

Gemma sighed. “What happened?”

“Nothing, alright? Just… I’ll be back,” he told her, shaking his head and leaving the house. He climbed into his Range Rover and wasn’t surprised when he ended up at the fire station. He sat outside for a few moments, fiddling with his ring before tossing it back in the cup holder. He wasn’t ready to tell Liam, didn’t even want him to know, not really. He waited a couple more minutes before climbing out and making his way into the fire station, still remembering his way around from when Liam had just started out years before. He found Liam in the lounge, laughing and joking with some man with dark olive skin and a jaw that could cut glass, and Harry frowned. He didn’t—The man didn’t _look_ like a firefighter, a little bit too scrawny, too thin, too _pretty,_ even, and Harry didn’t know _why_ he was there. He was probably Liam’s friend, but then why would Liam’s friend—

“I—Harry?” Liam asked, quickly standing up from the couch. He brushed off the back of his jeans, eyebrows furrowed. “I—What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,” Harry admitted quietly with a shrug, shaking his head. He stared Liam down for a minute, almost wishing he could read his mind, figure out what he was thinking. “Just…thought I would say hi.”

“Oh,” Liam said slowly before the noise dissolved into an awkward silence.

Harry glanced over at the man who was still sitting on the couch and waved. “I’m Harry.”

“Zayn,” he replied with a nod and a tight-lipped smile. 

“He was just bringing me something to eat,” Liam explained, though he didn’t know why. He didn’t owe Harry an explanation, didn’t really owe him _anything,_ really. 

Harry nodded slowly. “I could’ve—“ Harry cut himself off because no, _no,_ he wasn’t Liam’s boyfriend, wasn’t sure if this _Zayn_ guy was, but—It didn’t _matter._ He had Louis, was engaged, even, and didn’t have any right feeling even remotely jealous over some guy with sharp cheekbones who was giving Liam the glad eye. 

“I should get back, anyway,” Zayn interrupted. “Niall will have my head.”

Liam laughed. “Don’t think he’s payin’ any attention at all, actually. Probably didn’t even notice you were gone.”

“Yeah, he’s still probably just yappin’ on and on thinkin’ I’m there listening,” Zayn grinned. 

“See you in the morning?” Liam asked.

Zayn groaned. “Babe, you know I don’t do mornings,” he said with a laugh. “How about afternoon? I still have to stop and pick up some brushes and the paint.”

Liam nodded, grinning. “Yeah, see you then.”

Zayn turned towards Harry with a small smile. “Harry, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t think you’d be so tall,” he murmured. “See you ‘round, yeah?”

“Maybe,” Harry told him with a frown. He watched Zayn wave at Liam before turning and walking out of the lounge; Harry’s frown deepened when he saw the slight flush blooming on Liam’s cheeks. 

“Zayn’s helping me paint the living room,” Liam offered. 

“It’s always been yellow, though,” Harry pointed out.

Liam shrugged. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” Harry asked in a rush, knowing full well it was none of his business but he was too curious to not say anything.

Liam cleared his throat. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

“It’s my business if you fucked me while you have a boyfriend,” Harry grumbled, crossing his arms. And, wow, he knew he was being a dick, even being a hypocrite, but Liam—Liam didn’t _lie,_ didn’t cheat, was too…good for all that, really. Not in a pretentious way, but in an honest way. Liam was just…good. 

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Liam said slowly. “We just…hang out.” 

“You hook up?” Harry clarified.

Liam lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Sometimes.”

“Oh.”

“What about you? Got a boyfriend back home?” Liam asked softly, without the bite or sting that Harry had used, just pure curiosity. 

“Not exactly,” Harry whispered, feeling his stomach twist, hearing his brain protest, calling him a liar, because while he didn’t have a boyfriend, he had a _fiancé_ and that was—that was even worse. 

“Harry—“

“You talked with him about me, didn’t you?”

“Harry—“

Harry shook his head, crossing the room until he was standing directly in front of Liam. “Liam—“

“Harry, _don’t_ do this,” Liam told him. “Don’t show up after five years thinking nothing has changed, that _I_ haven’t changed. You can’t just show up and expect…expect us to just magically work out—“

“ _You_ gave me the ultimatum, Liam. _You_ were the one who said we had to break up if I left—“

“And _you’re_ the one who left!” Liam exclaimed. “I wanted you to stay!”

“I wanted to _be_ with you!” Harry yelled, taking a step back and shaking his head. “I never wanted us to end. We could’ve made long distance work. We could’ve—“

Liam laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “You really think we would’ve lasted a year with you in London and me here? I know you, Harry. You—You’re all about proximity or something,” he said with a shrug. “You have to have someone close to you. You have to constantly be around someone. It wouldn’t have worked.”

“You refused to wait,” Harry whispered. 

“You knew that I wasn’t going to.”

“I didn’t expect…” he trailed off. “It’s like you have a whole life that I’m not a part of, and I don’t know how to… I don’t know how to handle that now that I’m back.”

“Are you? Back, I mean.”

Harry shrugged. “For a little bit, yeah.”

“And your life in London that _I’m_ not a part of?”

“I wanted you to be,” Harry insisted. 

“Harry—“

Harry shook his head, rubbing at his face with his hands, holding back a sniffle. “We should’ve stayed together, Liam. We should’ve—I should be with _you,_ not—“ he cut himself off, looking down at his feet. 

Liam could feel his heart expanding in his chest and took a step closer to Harry, reaching for him. He couldn’t stop himself, didn’t want to, really, because he had spent his whole life comforting Harry, and it wasn’t as if he could just turn that instinct off. He cupped Harry’s face in his hands, tilting his chin upwards. “Harry,” he sighed, watching as Harry blinked back tears in his clear, green eyes. “This is just making it harder, seeing each other, and…talking about our lives,” he added with a shake of his head. “You should’ve never come to see me.”

Harry sniffled, slowly reaching up to wrap his fingers around Liam’s wrists, smoothing over the skin. “I had to,” he admitted quietly.

Liam opened his mouth to say something but froze as the alarm started going off in the station. His heart rate instantly sped up and he didn’t stop to think before brushing a quick kiss across Harry’s lips and pulling away. “I gotta—“

Harry nodded. “Yeah. Go…save kittens or lives,” he said with a weak smile. 

“Yeah,” Liam said breathlessly, squeezing Harry’s hand before making his way out of the room, leaving Harry alone.

 

+

 

By the time Liam had finished at the fire station, six hours and two showers later, it was barely one in the morning, and he decided to stop by the diner for a cup of tea before going home. He slid onto a stool at the bar, smiling when he saw Niall nodding off behind the counter. He smacked his hand down on the countertop, laughing when Niall fell off of his stool and onto the cool tile floor.

“Shit!” Niall grumbled, wincing as he rubbed at his head. “What’d ya do that for?”

Liam smiled and shrugged. “Thought it’d be funny,” he admitted.

Niall pouted and reached for a mug, instantly pouring Liam a cup of coffee and sliding it across the counter towards him.

“I wanted tea—“

“You’re getting coffee,” Niall interrupted. “You woke me up from my slumber, you don’t get what you want.”

Liam shook his head, pouring in a little bit of sugar before taking a drink. “You shouldn’t be sleeping at work.”

“Yes, I’m sure all of my customers are very upset,” Niall deadpanned, motioning around to the empty diner. “I sent Zayn home because he wouldn’t stop bitching about how bored he was.”

“Sounds like him,” Liam said with a grin before taking another sip of his coffee. The bell over the door rang and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see Josh, one of the lads he worked with, walk in and take a seat next to him.

“Had the right idea, mate,” Josh said, running a hand through his hair. 

“Your usual?” Niall asked.

Josh nodded. “Please.”

“Oh, you give him what he wants, but I don’t even get a cup of tea. I see how it is,” Liam teased.

“He’s a better kisser than you are,” Niall told him with a smile.

Liam paused, looking between the two of them. “You two…?” he asked, looking back at Josh, who was focused on his hands and flushing. “Okay, cool. Josh, tell him I want some tea and see if he’ll do it,” he stage-whispered, elbowing Josh in the side.

Josh laughed, shoving Liam away. “No way, mate.”

“It was worth a shot,” Liam shrugged.

Niall slid a cup of coffee over towards Josh and leaned over the counter, kissing him quickly. “How was work?”

“The usual,” Josh told him. “Liam saved, like, forty kittens from the apartment fire.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “I saved three.”

“The one wouldn’t leave him alone. Wouldn’t be surprised if he goes to check up it later this week,” Josh said with a laugh.

“Yeah, can you imagine Loki if I brought home a kitten?”

“Loki loves everyone. He would probably think it was his child,” Niall told him.

“True,” Liam admitted. 

“So who was that guy who stopped by earlier?” Josh asked quickly.

“Smooth,” Niall said through a cough, running a hand through his hair.

Josh’s eyes widened. “What? I’m curious!”

“Who? Zayn? You know Zayn,” Liam shrugged.

Josh shook his head. “Not him. The other one—the curly haired lad,” he added quietly when he felt Liam tense up next to him. “Should I…not have asked that?”

Liam sighed. “That was just…Harry,” he muttered.

Niall’s mouth fell open. “Harry? Like _Harry_ Harry? Harry from your past Harry that we’ve never met Harry?”

Liam pursed his lips.

“Harry who walked out on you to go to law school and never returned?”

“Yes—“

“Harry who—“

“Yes!’ Liam snapped, running his hand through his hair. “That Harry. The _only_ Harry,” he grumbled. 

Niall whistled. Shaking his head. “He’s back?”

“I’m missing something,” Josh muttered.

“Harry broke Liam’s heart,” Niall told him dramatically, reaching across the counter and grabbing Liam’s hand.

Liam tried to tug his hand free of Niall’s, but the Irish lad held on tight. “He didn’t—“

“He did,” Niall interrupted, tightening his grip on Liam’s hand. “They were together for, like, years, yeah? I moved here, like, right after Harry walked out on him—“

“He didn’t _walk out_ on me,” Liam insisted. “He went to London for law school, I stayed here. That’s…all there is to it.”

Niall shook his head again, releasing Liam’s hand and patting his knuckles. “No, Liam wanted him to stay, and Harry didn’t. Broke his heart and hasn’t been back since.”

“And the moral of the story is, don’t give your significant other an ultimatum,” Liam said bitterly.

“Why is he back?” Niall asked. “How long is he staying?”

Liam shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Did he say why he was back?”

“No.”

“Did he surprise you at the fire station? What did he say?”

Liam shook his head. “Calm down, Nialler. Take a deep breath.”

Niall frowned but did as Liam told him, sucking in a deep breath. “I’m good. But I still want answers.”

“Me, too,” Liam told him.

“Do you think he wants to get back together?”

“I…don’t know,” he said honestly.

“Do _you_ want to get back together?” Josh asked.

Liam hesitated because yes, _yes_ he did want to be with Harry; he had always wanted to be with Harry, would always want to be with him, that sort of thing. And it wasn’t really a surprise to him that his natural gut instinct was to be with Harry; he had always thought they would be together no matter what. From the time he was twelve and started to understand what he felt, to when he and Harry were actually together, to…everything, really. Harry had always been a part of his life, and even after Harry left, Liam still wanted him. He had never _stopped_ wanting Harry. And if Harry was back for good, Liam couldn’t deny that he _did_ want them to work out.

“That’s a yes,” Niall muttered.

Liam shook his head. “What?”

Niall grinned softly. “You want to get back together with him, don’t you?”

“Part of me will always want to be with him,” Liam admitted. “A big part, alright? He’s…very important to me, still is, always will be,” he shrugged. 

“Go tell him!” Niall encouraged.

“But,” Liam started, “I don’t know if that’s…why he’s back, you know? And I don’t think it is. So I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

“Boring. You’re boring,” Niall told him. “You need to go get him and kiss him and fuck him and—“ he trailed off when he saw Liam’s cheeks flush, the way his best mate avoided his eyes, and he leaned across the counter to slap at his chest. “Liam! You didn’t!”

“I didn’t _mean_ to!” he insisted. “It just…happened.”

“Mhmm. It _just happened_ that you saw him and it _just happened_ that you lost your trousers and your dick _just happened_ to—“

“Shut up, Niall, I’m begging you to shut your mouth,” Liam whined, running his hands over his face.

Niall laughed, cheeks pink. “I can’t believe you’re going to get back together with Harry.”

“I’m not going to—“ Liam cut himself off. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen. We would have a lot to work through first, you know? And he’s up for partner at his firm. I doubt he’s going to want to move back to Holmes Chapel. And I’m not moving to London. So it wouldn’t work, all right? It didn’t work years ago, and it isn’t going to work now.”

“Stop giving yourself reasons to not try,” Niall told him.

“You should definitely try,” Josh encouraged softly. “You look like you really love him.”

Liam sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a few notes and setting them on the countertop. “I’ll see you guys, yeah? Get some rest before your shift tomorrow, Josh.”

“Enjoy your day off, Captain,” Josh told him.

“Liam—“

“Niall, please,” Liam said with a soft laugh. “I just want to go home and sleep.”

Niall nodded. “Think about what we said, yeah?”

“Promise,” Liam told him before making his way out of the diner. He didn’t live too far away, only a couple of blocks, and since the town was so small, he didn’t ever choose to drive anywhere. His beat-up truck was still in the driveway at his parents house— _his_ house—and he couldn’t even remember the last time he drove it. By the time he got to his house, he was nearly dead on his feet, physically exhausted and emotionally drained. He frowned when Loki didn’t meet him by the door like he normally did and kicked off his boots, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up. He made his way up the stairs and to his room, flipping on the light to see Loki lounging on his bed with—

“Christ, Li, turn the light off,” Harry grumbled, pulling the blanket over his eyes and curling closer to Loki.

“Shit, sorry,” Li said, flipping off the light. It took him all of two seconds before he turned it back on, eyes wide. “Harry? What are you doing here?!”

Harry groaned, rubbing at his eyes and sitting up slowly, the blanket falling away from his bare chest. “What time is it?”

“Nearly two. What are you doing here?” he repeated.

Loki whined and jumped off of the bed, padding across the floor to brush across Liam’s feet before leaving the room entirely. 

Harry yawned, running a hand through his hair. “You need to change where you hide the key,” he told him, falling back against the mattress and pulling the pillow towards his chest. “It’s late. You need rest. C’mere.”

“Harry, you’re in my bed,” Liam whispered, still glued to the floor where he was standing. He couldn’t—didn’t _understand_ why he was there. 

“Wanted to make sure you got home okay,” Harry told him, tugging the blanket back up over his chest. “I didn’t like how our conversation ended.”

Liam sighed; while there was a part of his brain that was telling him to kick Harry out, to make him leave, there was a bigger part of him that couldn’t wait to climb under the covers and fall asleep next to him again. But he was worried, nervous, scared, _whatever,_ because he didn’t…know what to do, not really. He was too tired to argue, really, so he turned the light off and pulled off his jeans and shirt, making his way over to the bed. He climbed under the covers slowly, only a little surprised when Harry wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist and pulled him closer. “Harry—“

“Argue with me in the morning, Li,” Harry whispered against the side of his neck, throwing one of his legs across Liam’s waist.

Liam swallowed, forcing his eyes shut, and he could remember every single time they had fallen asleep like this before. Harry was a cuddler, an extreme cuddler, and it had taken Liam months, possibly years, to get used to the boy’s gangly limbs covering his before he fell asleep. After Harry left, it took Liam even longer to remember how to fall asleep on his own. But it felt like nothing had changed, and Liam fell asleep in an instant with Harry’s leg over his waist and Harry’s curls against his neck. 

 

+

 

Liam woke up the next morning to Loki’s cold, wet nose nudging at his arm, nipping at his tan skin and whining. Liam reached up to rub at his eyes, instantly looking at the clock to see that it was half-ten. He wasn’t used to sleeping in late, usually woke up early on his days off to go for a run, but it was hard to do that from where Harry was still wrapped around his body. He scratched the soft fur between Loki’s ears and managed to crawl out of Harry’s grasp, standing slowly.

“Mmm, back to bed, Li,” Harry grumbled, reaching out for him without opening his eyes. 

Liam smiled softly and reached down to run his fingers through Harry’s curls. “I’ll be right back,’ he told him before making his way downstairs. He let Loki out back while he filled up his food and water bowl, setting them by the back door where Loki would see it whenever he made his way back inside. He fixed himself a quick cup of tea before making his way back up the stairs. He paused in the doorway again, watching Harry twist around under the blanket, and he was hit with such a wave of nostalgia and he couldn’t stop the way his stomach was twisting. It was so familiar, yet so different. It felt as if nothing had changed, but Liam knew that everything had. He lifted his mug to his lips and took a slow drink of his tea, watching as Harry sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes and pouting over at Liam. “Morning.”

Harry grunted and held out his hand, motioning towards the tea. “Thirsty,” he pouted.

Liam laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed, handing over his mug.

Harry took a drink and frowned, handing it back to Liam before settling back against the pillows. “Too bitter.”

“S’how I like it,” Liam shrugged, forcing himself to not look at Harry’s bare chest, because that was just counterproductive, really. 

“I like your bed,” Harry told him, tracing his fingers over Liam’s forearm, the ink of the feather wrapped around his skin. 

Liam finished his tea and set the mug on his bedside table next to Harry’s mobile and keys. “You walked here?”

Harry nodded. 

“Why did…” he trailed off, looking down at where Harry’s fingers were resting on his forearm. 

“Do you think if I had stayed, we would still be together?” Harry asked suddenly.

“Yes,” Liam answered instantly, reaching over to grab Harry’s hand with his own. 

“I miss you, Liam. I meant it when I said I missed you every day,” he whispered.

Liam took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Harry smiled softly, turning his palm over and lacing his fingers with Liam’s.

“How long are you staying?”

Harry’s breath caught in his throat and he hesitated, his stomach dropping when his mobile started to ring. Liam went to reach for it, but Harry stopped him. “Don’t. I’m not answering that,” Harry told him. 

“My question or your mobile?”

“My mobile,” Harry told him. “I don’t know how long I’m staying.”

“We could never make this work, Harry,” Liam muttered. 

“Why not?” Harry asked, lifting one arm and resting it behind his head. He saw Liam’s eyes drop towards his chest, tracing the ink across his pale skin, and he felt himself smile. 

“I’m not moving to London,” Liam told him. 

Harry paused. “I didn’t ask you to.”

“Well, I’m not,” he repeated. “I love it here. And I’m not going to ask you to move back—“

“You want me to move back?”

“Harry—“

“Liam,” Harry said, sitting up again and pulling Liam a little closer. “If you ask me to stay, I’ll stay. I’ll… I’ll leave London, leave _everything,_ I—“ he sighed. “I should never have left in the first place. I know that now.”

Liam had to hold himself back from screaming _yes, leave London, come back home_ even though that was all he wanted. “Harry,” he said, tightening his hold on Harry’s hand, pausing when his mobile started ringing again. “You should—“

“I’m begging you to not do that,” Harry told him as Liam reached out for his mobile. 

Liam froze and he felt his stomach drop at the realization of what Harry’s tone meant. He slowly slipped his hand out of Harry’s and frowned. “You have someone back home, don’t you?”

“I’ll end it, Liam,” he promised. “Say the word, and I’ll end it. I didn’t—I didn’t come back for _this,_ alright? But—I’m here. And I love you. And if you want me to stay, I’ll stay, and I’ll never leave again,” Harry told him, reaching for his hand again. “Liam, please.”

“Harry,” he said, clearing his throat. “I can’t—“

“You _can,_ ” Harry insisted. “I love you. Do you… Do you still love me?”

“Of course I do,” Liam whispered.

“Then I’ll stay,” he promised. “I’ll never leave you again.”

Liam swallowed. “It couldn’t work—“

“It _will_ work. We’ll make it work. I swear it, Liam. Just… Just give us one more chance, please,” Harry begged, sliding his hands up to cup Liam’s jaw and tilt his head down until their eyes met again. “Liam?”

“You know I can’t say no to you,” Liam said quietly.

Harry felt himself smile and he slid his hands to the back of Liam’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Liam melted against him easily, falling back into old habits easily as Harry rolled him onto his back and straddled his waist. It was so familiar yet so much _better_ to have Harry grinding down against him, their cocks rubbing together through the thin layers of their pants. And it felt so much better when Harry’s lips were wrapped around him, Liam’s fingers tight in his curls, and when he drifted back to sleep in Harry’s arms after he came, he never felt more at home.

 

+

 

When Liam woke up for a second time, it was to Harry’s nails scratching through the sparse hair scattered across his chest and a door slamming downstairs.

“Liam?”

“Shit,” Liam groaned when he heard Zayn’s voice.

Harry snuffled against Liam’s neck. “Make him leave.”

“I can’t. We’re…painting today,” Liam told him, sitting up and cracking his back.

“Liam? Are you still fucking sleeping?!”

“I’ll be down in a minute!” Liam yelled back, getting out of bed and walking across the room to his wardrobe.

Harry rolled onto his stomach and watched Liam with a smile. “You’re so fit, Li,” he said with a little sigh.

Liam flushed and quickly pulled on a pair of pants and the closest pair of jeans. He cleared his throat and turned around, a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry, I—“

“Sorry for what? Being fit? Don’t apologize for that,” Harry told him with a laugh. 

Liam pulled on a white shirt and ran his hands over his face. “Um, are you…um…”

“I’m gonna head back home. I gotta talk to Gemma,” Harry said before climbing out of bed. He scratched at his stomach before getting dressed again, shoving his mobile into his pocket without looking at it, and he walked over to Liam, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Thank you.”

Liam cupped Harry’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together, kissing him slowly until he heard Zayn banging things about downstairs. He pulled away with a groan and rolled his eyes. “You meant it, didn’t you?”

“Every word,” Harry told him without hesitation.

“Okay,” Liam nodded. “I’m gonna…downstairs…”

Harry kissed Liam quickly. “I’ll be right down and out of your hair before you know it,” he teased.

Liam ran his hand over Harry’s curls, smiling when the younger boy easily leaned back into his touch. 

“Can I come over this weekend? I’ll make you dinner,” he offered.

“Of course.”

Harry smiled. “Okay. Go before I change my mind.”

“And no dinner?”

“No, before I drag you back onto that bed and refuse to let you leave.”

Liam laughed, ruffling Harry’s curls before leaving the room and walking downstairs to see Zayn lying on the floor with Loki, scratching at his ears.

“Oh, there is he,” Zayn announced with a roll of his eyes. “Lovely that you’ve finally joined us. Loki and I were beginning to feel abandoned.”

Liam shrugged. “Sorry, I lost track of time.”

“It’s half-one.”

Liam ran a hand over his face. “Wow, really?”

“Mhmm. Niall said you left at two, and I doubt you slept for almost twelve hours so,” Zayn trailed off, fixing him with a steady eye and a smile. 

“Um, I just. I woke up and let Loki out and then…fell back asleep,” Liam told him.

“Hmm.”

“Alright, Li, I’ll be back…later,” Harry announced, trailing off when he caught sight of Zayn grinning up at him from the floor. 

“Hi,” Zayn told him. “I see why Liam was still in bed now.”

Harry laughed as Liam flushed, ducking his head to try to hide. He walked over to Liam and hugged him quickly, unable to help himself. “I’ll see you in a bit, yeah, love?”

Liam nodded, still flushing when Harry kissed him again, waving at Zayn before leaving. 

“I owe Niall money, cheers,” Zayn said with a forced frown. “Are you two getting back together?”

Liam felt himself smile a little and he shrugged. “Think we’re gonna try.”

“Try?” Zayn asked, finally standing and making his way over towards the kitchen counter, jumping up on it. “Why try?”

“Tea?”

“Please. Why try?” he repeated.

“It’s just not that easy, Zayn,” Liam told him, putting the kettle on the stove. “And…I may have done something stupid.”

Zayn grinned. “You never do stupid things! Tell me all about it.”

“You’re not…upset?”

Zayn shrugged. “Upset I lost an easy shag, maybe. But, listen, babe, that’s all you and I have been, you know? We both knew that,” he told him with a wry grin. “I’ve known you for years, I know all the Harry drama, and I want this to work out for you. You proper love him, yeah?”

Liam nodded. 

“Then you two have to make it work. None of this ‘try’ business, just do.”

“He’s… He has a boyfriend back in London,” Liam said softly.

Zayn hesitated and sighed, shaking his head. “You’re so stupid,” he whispered fondly. “C’mere.”

Liam found himself wrapped up in Zayn’s arms easily, a comforting hand rubbing at his back. “He said he’s going to end it. That he’s going to stay.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I really want to. I know Harry well enough, you know? I don’t think he’s lying,” Liam said, pulling out of Zayn’s firm hold slowly.

“Well, if he is lying, Niall and I might have to fight him. I don’t care how pretty he is.”

Liam laughed, feeling the weight on his shoulders lessen a little bit at Zayn’s easy smile and the sound of the kettle whistling. “Thank you.”

 

+

 

Gemma was sitting in the kitchen on her laptop when Harry finally got home, and she didn’t waste any time in staring him down when he stepped into the kitchen. “Out all night, brother?”

Harry sighed. “Yes, mother, but I’m home now. Why aren’t you at work?”

She pointed towards her laptop. “I work from home.”

“You work from mum’s. Don’t you have a place of your own?”

“Why don’t you want to see me?” Gemma asked with a pronounced pout. “We’ve hardly had any sibling bonding time since you’ve been back.”

“You’re right,” Harry said without argument, climbing onto the stool next to her. “Hey, Gemma?”

“You went to see Liam, didn’t you?” Gemma asked, looking at him over the top of her laptop. 

“I can’t marry Louis,” Harry whispered out in a rush, elbows resting on the counter as he held his head in his hands. 

“No shit.”

Harry groaned loudly, letting his head fall onto the counter. “I slept with Liam.”

“That I didn’t need to know,” Gemma grumbled.

Harry looked over at her with a frown. “I slept with him the first day I got back in the hallway of his house,” he muttered blankly, like he couldn’t even believe himself. “And I stayed with him last night.”

“Too much, Harry,” Gemma told him, holding up a hand to stop him. “Please don’t go on.”

“I love him, Gemma,” he pouted.

“I know.”

“I wanna be with him. I’ve always wanted to be with him.”

“Then why did you agree to marry Louis?” Gemma asked softly, not to cause trouble or to hurt her brother, but because she was honestly _curious._

Harry shrugged. “I love Louis. But I didn’t—I didn’t expect Liam to want anything to do with me when I came back, you know? But he—he wants to be with me, too, Gem,” he told her, reaching up to rub at his eyes, not surprised that tears were starting to well up. “He’s always been it for me. He wants to do this. I just…have to end it with Louis.”

“Are you going to?”

“Yes,” Harry said with a nod. “Absolutely. I just…have to do it, you know? And I don’t want to hurt him; he’s been good to me—“

Gemma rolled her eyes.

Harry frowned. “He _has_ been, Gemma. Just because you don’t like him—“

“I _like_ him just fine. I just…” she trailed off. “I’ve never seen you with anyone but Liam. He’s always been a part of the family. You two have _always_ belonged together. I couldn’t give Louis a chance because I never really believed you two would work,” she explained quietly. “I’ve always wanted it to be you and Liam.”

“Really?”

Gemma nodded.

Harry reached over for his sister’s hand, gripping it tightly. “Me, too.”

 

+

 

Harry’s heart was pounding in his chest as he watched Louis pull up in the driveway of his parent’s house and he walked outside to meet him. Louis grinned, kissing him quickly and pulling him in for a hug. “How was the drive?”

“Awful. I’m in desperate need of a drink,” Louis declared. “Can you get my bags? I’m going to take a quick shower, and then we’re going to go out for drinks.”

“Sure,” Harry nodded as Louis handed him the keys and bounced inside. He bit the inside of his cheek, telling himself he really had no reason to be upset or annoyed since, well, he had slept with someone else and was kind of planning on breaking off their engagement within the next forty-eight hours. He dragged Louis’ suitcases out of the back of his car and made his way inside, dropping them off in their room before making his way to the living room where Gemma was lying on the couch. 

“He’s a dick.”

“He’s grumpy. The drive was awful. Leave him alone,” Harry told her.

Gemma rolled her eyes. “Stop defending him.”

Harry sighed. “I’m going to go change. We’re going out for drinks apparently.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Gemma asked, sitting up and folding her arms over the back of the couch.

Harry shook his head. “Not at all. But Louis doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“How do you think he’s going to react when…” she trailed off, sending her brother a _look._

“Badly,” Harry said with a self-deprecating grin. “Got to do it like a plaster, yeah? All about finding the right time.”

“There is no _right time_ for this, Haz,” Gemma told him softly.

Harry sighed again, shrugging. He didn’t say anything before making his way back up the stairs to the room he was sharing with Louis. He changed quickly, pulling on a clean pair of black jeans, his boots, and a gray jumper. 

“You look nice,” Louis commented, walking into the room with a fluffy towel drawn tight around his hips. “Awfully nice for a couple of drinks at the pub.”

“I wanted to look nice for you,” Harry mumbled. “Haven’t seen you all week.”

Louis smiled, patting Harry’s cheek. “You look lovely,” he told him before dropping his towel and changing into a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a jean jacket. “Should we walk? The pub isn’t that far, is it?”

“No.”

“Nothing is, you’re right. I remember this place being a lot bigger,” Louis said with a shrug.

Harry shook his head. “Nope, s’always been this size.”

“Hmm.” Louis pulled on a pair of Vans, shoving his wallet and mobile into his back pocket, and pecked Harry on the cheek. “You ready?”

“Mhmm.” Harry let Louis lead him out of the room, bidding Gemma a quick goodbye, before they were on their way to the pub. Harry stayed silent while Louis prattled on about his week, about mishaps that had happened on set, and the awful traffic in London on a Friday night. He was only half paying attention and wasn’t surprised when Louis reached over and pinched his side.

“Something wrong?”

“No,” Harry said quickly, shaking his head. “Just a little distracted, I guess.”

Louis smiled, slipping an arm around Harry’s waist. “We’ll just have a couple drinks and go back, yeah? Can’t wait to snog you silly in your childhood bedroom,” he teased with a grin.

Harry forced a smile, but the only thing he could think of was everything he and Liam had done in his childhood bedroom. Whatever was on Louis’ mind would certainly pale in comparison. He shook his head, forcing himself to _not_ think about Liam, not while Louis was right next to him—that wasn’t _fair._ He held the door to the pub open for Louis, following him in. The pub was still the same as it always had been, quiet and dark and full of the regulars who paused instantly when Louis walked in, an unfamiliar face. He spotted Liam across the way at a round booth with Zayn and two other lads he didn’t recognize, and Harry looked away when Louis reached for his hand, leading him to the bar.

“Two pints, please,” Louis said with a smile before turning to face Harry. “See any familiar faces?”

Harry barely glanced over at Liam, who had an unmovable frown on his face, and he nodded. “Yeah, some lads I went to school with,” he said with a shrug.

“Introduce me!” Louis demanded with a laugh. “You’ve never introduced me to anyone back home except your parents and Barbara at the bakery.”

“S’not a big deal, Lou, really. We can just—“

“I want to meet them,” Louis said, paying the bartender before handing Harry his pint, picking up his own. “Let’s go.”

Harry sighed and nodded, leading Louis over to Liam’s table, his heart pounding in his chest. “Hey, Li,” he said quietly.

Liam forced a smile. “Harry.”

“Is it alright if we—“

“He means to ask if we can sit with you lads,” Louis interrupted with a sharp grin. “He’s such a slow talker, but that’s what he was getting to.”

Liam bit the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, he never really grew out of that,” he agreed. “You can sit with us. Budge up,” he told Zayn, scooting a little closer to him.

Harry climbed in first, pressed against Liam’s side, and Louis followed. “Um, Louis, this is Liam and Zayn. I’m not… I’m sorry, I haven’t met the two of you,” Harry said quietly. “I’m Harry Styles, this is Louis Tomlinson—“

“His fiancé,” Louis added with a smile. “Lovely to meet you.”

“That’s Josh, I work with him, and Niall,” Liam said blankly, avoiding Harry’s eyes, because _fiancé_ was not a term he was familiar with. He knew Harry had a boyfriend, but a boyfriend was quite different from a _fiancé,_ and he couldn’t help but wonder if Harry had been the one to propose or if Louis had. He had never seen a ring on Harry’s finger, but as he squinted his eyes, he took in the white gold band around his finger, and his stomach dropped. 

“Hello, pleasure,” Louis said, taking a drink of his pint. “So which one of you went to school with Harry? I want to hear all the stories.”

“That’d be Liam,” Zayn said, elbowing him in the side. “From what I understand, they were damn near inseparable until Harry went to London.”

“Best mates, yeah,” Harry agreed.

Louis frowned. “But you lads never kept in touch?”

Liam shrugged. “People grow apart.”

“We’re gonna go play billiards,” Niall announced, shoving Josh out of the booth. “Nice meeting you Lou, Harry.” He waved before grabbing Josh’s hand and leading him away towards the other end of the pub. 

Liam went to scoot a little further away when he felt Harry’s fingers on his knee, and he looked up to see Harry just _looking_ at him. And he knew that look, knew the pleading look in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but be upset that Harry had lied to him. 

“So, Liam, what do you do?”

“I’m a firefighter.”

“The Captain,” Harry added with a small, proud smile. “Youngest one the town has had, I imagine.”

Liam nodded.

“Impressive,” Louis grinned. “Not a surprise though, not with all those muscles.”

Liam ducked his head, flushing.

“And you, cheekbones?” he asked, smiling at Zayn.

“I’m an artist, but I work part-time with Niall at the diner,” he said with a shrug. “Gives me a lot of time to paint. What about you?”

“I’m an actor,” Louis said, running a hand through his hair. “Got a role on this shit sitcom but I absolutely love it. Harry’s a lawyer, up for partner at his firm. Can’t wait for that promotion, yeah?”

Harry shrugged. “Haven’t really thought about taking it much,” he said quietly.

Louis frowned. “You’ve been talking for ages about how you want to make partner.”

“Not here, Louis,” Harry said quietly.

“Is this just because we’re getting married?” he asked.

Harry shook his head. “Can we talk about this later?” he questioned lowly. 

Louis sighed. “Fine. I’m getting another drink. You lads want anything?”

“No, thank you,” Liam said from where he was still nursing his first beer. 

“I’ll join you,” Zayn said, standing up and following Louis over to the bar. 

“Liam—“ 

“You’re _engaged_?” Liam asked when he was sure Zayn and Louis were out of earshot. “Are you—Are you _serious_?”

Harry shook his head, could feel tears welling up in his eyes, because Liam sounded so _hurt_ and he knew it was his fault. “Liam, I’m sorry, I—“

“I can’t believe this. Were you even— All that talk earlier this week was just—“

“The truth,” Harry insisted. “I’m going to do it. He just got in an hour ago, Li, I can’t—I have to—“

“Find the right time?” Liam scoffed. “Harry, I can’t—“

“One week, Liam, _please,_ ” Harry begged. “I swear I’m going to.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married?” he asked quietly, looking down at his hands.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He didn’t have an answer, not a good one; anything he could’ve said would have made him look like a bigger wanker, and he didn’t exactly need help in that area.

“I’m going home,” Liam said with a dejected sigh. “Give Louis my apologies.”

Harry watched in silence as Liam stood up, brushing off the back of his jeans before heading towards the door, and it took him less than ten seconds to follow him. He made it halfway to the door before he felt Louis’ hand on his arm, stopping him. 

“Where’s Liam?”

“He left,” Harry snapped. 

“Why did he—“

“I don’t _know,_ Louis; I’m not his keeper.”

Louis’ eyebrows rose. “What’s gotten into you?” he asked quietly with a sneer. “I drive all the way up here to see you and—“

“I don’t feel well,” Harry interrupted with a shake of his head. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Louis’ cheek. “I’m just gonna go home, yeah?”

“Yeah, I’ll join you,” Louis agreed, because going home actually sounded _nice._ He still wanted to stay out, meet more people Harry had grown up with, but it had been a three hour drive after a long week and he was _tired._

“You don’t have to, Lou—“

“I haven’t slept next to you in almost a week, darling,” Louis said with a small grin. “We can go out tomorrow night.”

 

+

 

Harry tossed and turned most of the night, even with Louis’ arm tight around his waist. By half-six, he gave up, slowly slithering out from under Louis’ arm; he heard him mumble something under his breath and curl into himself, clutching Harry’s pillow. Harry walked to the bathroom and got ready for his day the way he normally would, running his fingers through his thick curls before pulling on a pair of jeans and the same jumper from the night before, too lazy to sift through his bags and find anything else. He dragged on his boots and grabbed his wallet and phone, slipping out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen where Anne was sat at the table with a cup of tea and a smile.

“Morning, Haz. You’re up early,” she commented, standing up and walking over to the stove. “Do you want a cuppa?”

Harry shook his head. “No, thanks. I couldn’t sleep.”

Anne smiled, returning to the table and sitting down. “You and Louis got in early last night.”

He shrugged, reaching towards the fruit bowl on the table and grabbing a banana, peeling it open and taking a bite. “He wanted to stay out longer but I didn’t feel well.”

“Are you feeling all right now?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, finishing his banana quickly before standing up and throwing away the peel. “I’ll be back.”

Anne frowned. “Where are you going? It’s not even seven, Harry.”

“Just…on a walk,” Harry told her, pressing his lips to her cheek before sending her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised before making his way out of the house. He made his way towards the diner, the only place in town that was actually open at that hour, deciding he would pick Liam up some tea before checking in on him. There was no way he couldn’t, not really, not with how they had left things the night before. He stepped foot into the diner, surprised to see that it was so crowded, and made his way to the bar to stand and wait. It had been years since he’d even stepped foot inside, had heard the older man, Mr. Carson, who used to run the place was sickly and entrusted it to someone else, but—it didn’t matter. 

“Morning, mate, what can I get for ya?”

Harry looked up at the unfamiliar accent, a sweet Irish lilt that he wasn’t used to hearing, and he smiled at Niall. “Erm, two teas to go, please? One with light cream and the other with sugar and honey—like a lot of honey,” he said with a shake of his head, easily remembering Liam’s order because he always complained that the honey ruined the tea but Liam insisted that it made it _so much better._

The boy smiled and quickly reached for two to-go cups. “You got it, mate,” he said. “You’re Liam’s mate, right? Harry?”

“I am,” Harry agreed. “We met at the pub last night; Niall, yeah?”

“Yeah, we did,” Niall told him, quickly getting together his order. “You know why Li left in such a hurry?”

He shook his head, sliding more than enough money across the counter to pay for his tea and a generous tip. “No.”

“Hmm,” Niall muttered, watching him for a moment. “You and…” he trailed off, narrowing his eyes.

“Louis?” he offered, his tone a little shaky and he hoped Niall didn’t notice.

He snapped his fingers and grinned. “Yes, him. Are you lot coming out to the pub again tonight?”

“I—I’m not sure,” he admitted. 

“You should try. You must be good people if you’re Liam’s mate,” he joked. 

Harry smiled. “Yeah, he—he’s a good judge of character,” he said quietly. “I’ll see you around.”

Niall nodded, sending him a salute. “Bye, Harry. Tell Liam I said hello,” he told him with a knowing little grin.

Harry nodded, frowning, before picking up both cups of tea and exiting the diner. The walk to Liam’s was quick, and he finished more than half of his tea by the time he approached the door. He set the cups down on the swinging chair by the door and knelt down, pulling up the rug to find the hide-a-key and unlock the front door. He placed the key back where it belonged, picked up the tea, and walked inside, gently nudging the door shut behind him. He paused for a moment, sucking in a deep breath when he didn’t hear any movement, and he walked into the kitchen, finishing his tea before throwing the cup away. He made his way upstairs and down the hall to Liam’s room, peering in to see an empty bed, and he frowned. 

“What are you doing here?”

Harry jumped, a decidedly embarrassing sound leaving his lips as he turned around. “Christ, Li, you scared me.”

Liam’s eyebrow quirked upwards and he tightened his hold on the towel around his waist. “Yes, you sneak into my house and _I_ scare _you,_ ” he muttered. “That makes perfect sense.”

Harry held out the cup of tea as a peace offering. “I didn’t want to wake you by knocking.”

“I’ve been up for a while,” Liam shrugged, taking the tea from Harry’s outstretched and taking a tentative sip. “You stop by the diner?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

“I—I wanted to talk to you about last night,” he said quietly.

Liam nodded slowly. “About your fiancé?”

Harry sighed, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry, Liam,” he whispered. “I know I keep saying that—“

“You do,” Liam agreed.

“—but I _am_ ,” he told him. 

“You told me you had someone back home. I didn’t ask for specifics so I guess it’s kind of my fault, too,” Liam muttered.

“No, it’s not your fault,” Harry corrected him. “Nothing about this is your fault. It’s all me, it’s all my fault, it’s all my…shit, it’s… It’s all my shit,” he said slowly, like it was just dawning on him the absolute mess he had created for himself. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, contemplating smacking his head against it as if that might actually smack some sense into him, and he sighed. “I’m a mess, and I’m making your life a mess.”

“You’re not a mess, Harry,” he whispered.

“But I _am,_ Liam, Christ.” Harry grumbled. “You were just fine before I came back. I’ve been back for a week and everything is just…so messed up. I didn’t mean to mess up your life.”

“You’re not,” Liam repeated, setting his tea down on the little bookcase he had lining the wall of his hallway, and stepping closer to Harry. His hands settled on his waist, thumbs rubbing against his hips. “You’re not.”

“I am,” Harry pouted. “I lied to you and I cheated on Louis and I didn’t even tell you I was _engaged._ And you’re a…good person, Li. I shouldn’t have done any of that.”

“Any of it?” Liam asked quietly.

Harry swallowed. “I mean, I—I don’t—I don’t regret _all_ of it,” he said quietly. “I’ve never regretted anything where you’re concerned. Except leaving.”

Liam sighed, leaning forward and resting his forehead against Harry’s, his eyes slipping shut. “What are you doing to me, H?”

“Messing up your life,” Harry offered with a self-deprecating grin. 

Liam didn’t even have to open his eyes to know the look on Harry’s face. He pressed his thumbs harder against Harry’s hips, stepping closer and pushing him back against the wall. “In a good way, maybe,” Liam said, opening his eyes. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Harry giggled a little and pressed his hips closer to Liam’s, loving the way his hands felt against his body, he always had. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“I don’t want you to be engaged,” Liam admitted, slipping one hand away from Harry’s waist to grab his left hand. He trailed his fingertip across the band around his ring finger, twisting it a little bit as he frowned. 

“I’m going to—“

“I know,” Liam interrupted, pulling his head away and reaching up to cup Harry’s chin in his hands, forcing their eyes to meet. “I know,” he repeated, brushing his thumb across Harry’s lower lip. He could feel Harry tremble beneath his hands and he leaned in to brush his lips across the front of Harry’s neck. He nosed along the underneath of Harry’s jaw, up to his ear, and he took a deep breath. “What are you doing to me?” he said again in a whisper.

“I don’t know.”

Liam pulled back and fixed him with a steady stare, eyes dropping to his lips, and it felt as if the tether he had been balancing on for the last week had snapped. He surged forward and crushed their lips together, pinning Harry against the wall. Harry twined his arms around Liam’s neck, pulling him in as close as he could; he could barely feel the little rivulets of water from Liam’s chest soaking through his jumper but he didn’t care. Liam quickly unhooked the towel from his waist and let it drop to the ground before reaching for Harry’s jeans and shoving them down his thighs. 

Harry whimpered as Liam rubbed against him, sliding a hand around the back of his thighs and hoisting him up a little bit. “Liam,” he panted against his lips.

“Shut up, Harry,” Liam grumbled, sliding his fingers across his arse, barely brushing over his hole.

Harry’s back arched, his head falling back against the wall. “Li—C’mon,” he whined. 

Liam nipped at Harry’s jaw as he brushed the pad of his thumb across Harry’s hole, barely pushing in.

Harry tried to grind down against him, get a little bit more friction, a little bit more _something._

Liam swallowed Harry’s gasp as he slid one finger into him, knowing full well that it was dry and uncomfortable, but Harry didn’t even try to shy away from it. He allowed Harry a couple of seconds to adjust before wiggling his finger, his concentrating breaking at the shrill sound of Harry’s mobile ringing. “H—“

“Ignore it, ignore it, God, _please,_ Liam,” Harry rambled, shaking his head and trying to rock his hips down. 

“It’s probably—“

“Don’t wanna talk about him,” he breathed out, fixing Liam with an even stare.

Liam smiled, just barely, rubbing the pad of another finger across Harry’s hole, watching as the younger boy’s eyes fluttered shut, a small gasp leaving his lips as his mobile continued to ring. “You don’t wanna talk about your fiancé when I’m about to fuck you?”

Harry moaned and nodded. “Please, please fuck me, Liam, need it, need _you _—“__

__

__+_ _

__

__Niall looked up quickly when the door to the diner flew open, the bells jingling above it, and he recognized the man entering from the night before, Harry’s fiancé, Louis. He watched the man frown and look around the diner before rolling his eyes and strolling over to the counter. “What can I get for ya?”_ _

__Louis narrowed his eyes. “I met you last night, didn’t I?” he asked quietly._ _

__Niall smiled. “You did. Niall.”_ _

__“Right,” Louis muttered, looking around the diner again._ _

__“Looking for something?” Niall asked, following his gaze and glancing around his diner. It was nearly empty except for his regulars that stopped in for brunch and the space was small, so it didn’t seat _that_ many people. _ _

__“Some _one,_ ” he grumbled. “Sorry, I’ve been calling my fiancé for the past hour and he isn’t answering. I’ve looked over, like, half of the town. We have a meeting at eleven at the Church.”_ _

__“Right,” Niall nodded slowly. “Making wedding plans already?”_ _

__Louis smiled and laughed softly. “Yeah, we’re having a fall wedding so I’m trying to get everything in order since Harry isn’t doing anything.”_ _

__Niall pursed his lips. “Can I get you something to drink?”_ _

__“Just some tea, please.”_ _

__“To go?”_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

__Niall nodded and prepared his tea, watching Louis add a little bit of sugar before taking a drink._ _

__“Can I ask you something?” Louis asked quickly._ _

__Niall shrugged, picking up a towel and wiping down the counter; and it wasn’t that he didn’t like Louis—he didn’t _know,_ him. And he _knew_ Liam and what was going on with Harry and he just… He didn’t want to get _involved._ It wasn’t his place, even if he knew that Harry was with Liam, he couldn’t—he _couldn’t._ _ _

__“Last night, Liam and Harry were acting…like they didn’t like each other,” he said slowly, deliberately. “Do they not get along anymore?”_ _

__“M’not sure,” Niall answered honestly. “I think they get along just fine. Liam can just be a little quiet when he meets new people.”_ _

__Louis nodded. “Right. Do you know where—Well, of course you know where Liam lives. Can you point me in the right direction? Maybe he’ll know where Harry is,” he grumbled._ _

__Niall swallowed. “Lives two blocks over—the house with the red shutters,” he told him, nodding towards the left._ _

__Louis picked up his cup and took a drink. “Cheers.”_ _

__“Of course,” Niall said, watching as Louis stood and exited the diner. He didn’t even hesitate before dragging his mobile out of his pocket and sending Liam a quick text._ _

___lou’s on his way! sorry mate he cornered me! b careful!_ _ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Louis located Liam’s house easily enough, shuffling up the drive as he finished his tea. He lightly stepped over a sleeping dog on the steps, who snuffled and looked up at him with wide, sleepy eyes. He smiled at the dog and stepped up to the door, raising a hand and knocking. He had no idea if Harry was there, or if Liam would even _know_ where Harry was. And even though Anne had told Louis not to worry, that Harry would make it to the Church on time for their meeting, Louis couldn’t _help_ but worry. And if Liam and Harry had been close in high school and Liam left upset the night before, Harry would’ve definitely wanted to make sure he was all right. It took a minute or two before he heard feet shuffling behind the door and it swung open to reveal a shirtless Liam with white sweatpants slung low on his hips, his brow creased. _ _

__“Hi.”_ _

__“Hi,” Louis said with an awkward smile. “Um, I’m Louis? We met last night.”_ _

__“Yeah, I remember,” Liam said, reaching up to run a hand over his hair. “Sorry, I was just getting out of the shower.”_ _

__Louis pursed his lips. “You look pretty dry to me, mate,” he joked._ _

__Liam huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I, uh, I dry quickly,” he told him. “Can I… I don’t mean to be rude, sorry, but can I help you with anything?”_ _

__“Yeah, um,” Louis shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve been calling Harry for, like, the past hour and he hasn’t answered. We have a meeting at the church in half an hour and I can’t find him. I looked all over town and ran into Niall and thought…that you might know where he is?”_ _

__“Oh, right,” Liam said with a quick nod. “Yeah, he stopped by earlier, said he couldn’t sleep and we just…hung out for a bit. He’s been upstairs playing with Loki. I’ll go get him for you,” he told him before shutting the door quietly. Liam sucked in a deep breath as he jogged up the steps, walking into his bedroom to see Harry still sprawled across the sheets, naked and fiddling with the ring on his finger. “Louis is here.”_ _

__Harry sat up slowly, his green eyes wide. “What?”_ _

__Liam nodded and quickly picked Harry’s clothes up off the floor from where they had been scattered earlier. “He’s here, and he’s looking for you because you have a meeting at the church,” he told him, shoving the clothes towards him. “I told him you couldn’t sleep and that you’re playing with Loki. C’mon, get dressed!” he said, snapping his fingers when Harry sluggishly stood up from the bed._ _

__“Fuck, I forgot about the meeting,” Harry grumbled, pulling on his pants and jeans, tugging his jumper over his head. “How did he even know where you lived?”_ _

__“He saw Niall. Fuck, I didn’t—“ he cut himself off with a sigh and picked is mobile up from the nightstand, thumbing through his messages. “Niall even texted me fifteen minutes ago. Shit.”_ _

__Harry quickly pulled on his boots and reached for his mobile, seeing that he had seven missed calls and ten texts from Louis. “He’s gonna be so mad,” he muttered, rolling his eyes and shoving his mobile back into his pocket. “Let’s go. Just…follow my lead,” he said with a shrug before leaving the room. By the time he reached the front door and swung it open, he saw Louis sitting on the steps with Loki in his lap. “Hi, babe.”_ _

__Louis smiled up at him, but it was forced. “Hi, Harry. Did you know this little guy’s been outside?” he asked._ _

__Harry swallowed. “Yeah, we let him out earlier and we lost track of time, catching up and all,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Sorry, I forgot about the meeting when I woke up this morning.”_ _

__“Yeah, you must’ve gotten up pretty early,” Louis said, scratching Loki’s ears before standing up and leaning in towards Harry for a kiss._ _

__“Sorry,” Harry muttered again._ _

__“It’s partly my fault,” Liam interjected. “We got to talking and, y’know…”_ _

__“Lost track of time?” Louis offered quietly._ _

__“Yeah.”_ _

__“Well, we’ve got to get going anyway,” Louis said, reaching for Harry’s hand and linking their fingers, feeling the heavy weight of the ring pressed between their fingers. “We don’t want to be late for our meeting.”_ _

__“Right,” Harry agreed, looking over at Liam._ _

__“Maybe we all could get together tonight again,” Louis suggested, “since last night you weren’t feeling too well. You could invite your mates, if you wanted.”_ _

__Liam nodded slowly. “Yeah, sounds—sounds good.”_ _

__Louis bit the inside of his cheek and forced another smile. “Right. We’ll see you then, yeah? Same pub, maybe at seven?” he asked, giving Liam another once over before leading Harry off of the porch._ _

__“Sure,” Liam agreed, watching Louis practically drag Harry away, and he lifted a hand up in a wave._ _

__“See you later, Li,” he said quietly, glancing at him from over his shoulder. He felt Louis’ fingers tighten around his and he winced, looking over at him. “Wha—“_ _

__“Shut up, Harry,” Louis grumbled, leading him up the road. “Which way is the church?”_ _

__Harry sighed. “Left.”_ _

__Louis remained silent on the walk to the church, scuffing his feet along the pavement until they reached the church. He saw Anne and Gemma waiting by the door, waving, and he stopped and turned to Harry. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Liam—“_ _

__“ _Nothing_ is going on,” Harry interrupted him. “We were catching up. We’ve never had the chance whenever I stopped by before because I didn’t stay too long.”_ _

__“Right,” Louis said with a roll of his eyes. “And you were ‘playing with the dog’ even though the dog was outside?”_ _

__“We let him out because he had to piss, Louis,” Harry snapped, “and we started talking. What do you want me to say? Why are you so paranoid?”_ _

__“Paranoid?” Louis scoffed. “Please, Harry, I see the way he looks at you.”_ _

__Harry frowned because Liam didn’t—Liam didn’t _look_ at him any particular way. “He doesn’t—“_ _

__“He _does,_ ” Louis said quietly. “And I get it, alright? You’re gorgeous. But you’re—you’re mine, okay?”_ _

__Harry took a step back, dropping Louis’ hand. “I’m _yours_?” he asked._ _

__“You know what I mean,” he told him with a sigh. “And he looks like—he’s muscled and handsome and...I don’t feel comfortable with you spending time alone with him. That’s all.”_ _

__Harry nodded slowly, pursing his lips. “So not only do you not trust me, I also _belong_ to you?” he asked._ _

__Louis stepped closer to him, flinching when Harry stepped back. “That’s not— No, babe, that’s not—I meant, like, we’re engaged. Why do you feel the need to spend time with some…ridiculously fit and single firefighter?”_ _

__“Because he’s my _friend,_ ” Harry said tersely._ _

__“Babe—“_ _

__“No, let’s just go to our meeting and talk about this later,” he suggested._ _

__“No, I want to talk about this _now,_ ” Louis told him._ _

__Harry scoffed. “Well, then we have to, don’t we? Because you always get what you want, don’t you, Louis?”_ _

__“Harry, where is this coming from?” he demanded._ _

__“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” Harry said with a shake of his head. “You just…go to the meeting, make whatever decisions you want, like you normally do, and you can bitch at me later for God knows what. That’s how it always goes, yeah?”_ _

__“Harry—“_ _

__“Stop, Louis, shit,” Harry forced out with a laugh. “Just don’t, yeah?” Harry didn’t bother saying anything else; he just turned on his heel and walked away. He could hear his mum shout something after him, Gemma yelling something at Louis, more than likely, but it didn’t register, not really. He barely noticed when he made it back to his mum’s; it was second nature to shuck off his clothes and climb under the covers, hauling a pillow close to his chest. It only took a couple of seconds for him to realize it smelled like Louis and he tossed it aside, pulling the blanket over his head as he groaned. And he was furious with Louis, he really was, even though Louis’ accusations were completely on target—it wasn’t as if he had ever given Louis a reason to believe he _would_ cheat on him. And he was disgusted with himself for doing so, but he couldn’t—he couldn’t stop himself even if he tried, because Liam was different, special, and Harry never could think straight when it came to him. _ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Harry was jostled from his sleep by an arm around his waist and lips to the back of his neck. He shuffled beneath the blanket, attempting to turn onto his stomach, but Louis rolled him back until they were spooning._ _

__“I’m sorry, babe,” Louis whispered against his ear._ _

__Harry didn’t say anything._ _

__“I just… I saw you with him and I got so jealous,” he told him. “I got upset, and I said things that hurt your feelings. I’m sorry.”_ _

__“Louis—“_ _

__“I just snapped, and you didn’t deserve that,” Louis replied. “Forgive me?”_ _

__Harry sighed and, when he felt Louis pull away, he reached for his arm. “Let’s just...go to sleep, okay? Forget all about it,” he grumbled._ _

__Louis nodded, nuzzling the back of Harry’s neck. “I love you.”_ _

__Harry didn’t reply. And when he was awoken some time later, he wasn’t sure how long, it was to Louis’ fingers pressing against the inside of his thigh. “Louis, wha—“_ _

__“Sssh,” Louis whispered, nipping at the juncture of Harry’s neck and shoulder, smoothing over it with his tongue. “Lemme make it up to you, yeah?”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Liam balanced three pints between his hands and made his way through the pub, setting them down on the table between Zayn and Niall._ _

__“So why are we trying this again?” Zayn asked._ _

__“Because Liam choked last night and embarrassed himself,” Niall offered, taking a drink of his pint as Liam sat down across from him. He waggled his eyebrows a little bit, trying to soften the blow._ _

__Liam rolled his eyes. “I didn’t embarrass myself.”_ _

__“So, before they get here, what happened this morning?” Niall asked, pulling his mobile out of his pocket and setting it on the table, spinning it around._ _

__Liam sighed, looking down at his hands._ _

__“Wait, I didn’t hear about this at all,” Zayn said with a grin. “What happened?”_ _

__“Harry came over earlier,” Liam said simply, shrugging, and he paused until Zayn just stared at him, prompting him to continue. With a sigh, he glanced over his shoulder and around the pub to make sure Louis and Harry hadn’t arrived, and he turned back to his friends. “He just…wanted to apologize for last night, for Louis and—“_ _

__“I thought you knew?” Zayn asked._ _

__Liam’s eyes narrowed and he took a drink of his beer. “I knew he had a boyfriend, yeah, but not a fiancé,” he said quietly._ _

__Niall whistled, shaking his head. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell you.”_ _

__“Well—“_ _

__“I can,” Zayn interrupted._ _

__Niall frowned, looking over at him. “Are ya daft, mate?”_ _

__Zayn rolled his eyes. “No, like, of course he didn’t want to, yeah? He wanted to know if he had a shot with you, didn’t he? There’s a big difference between having a boyfriend and having a fiancé—“_ _

__“I know,” Liam grumbled, “trust me.”_ _

__“I’m just saying, it makes sense,” Zayn reiterated. “If you had said no, shot him down or whatever, then it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Right?”_ _

__Liam shrugged._ _

__“Doesn’t make it right,” Niall muttered._ _

__“No, you’re right, and I agree, but—“_ _

__“I get what you’re saying,” Liam interrupted. “Doesn’t help that I slept with him again this morning, yeah?”_ _

__Niall sputtered, spitting out some of his beer before staring Liam down. “You _what_?! Liam!”_ _

__Liam groaned, head falling to the table and he smacked himself a few times. He felt a hand on his shoulder, probably Zayn, and he sat up slowly, running a hand over his forehead._ _

__“Feel better?” Zayn asked._ _

__“No,” Liam said with a frown. “Why do I keep doing this?”_ _

__“Because you’re an idiot?” Niall offered._ _

__“Because you’re in _love,_ ” Zayn corrected, reaching over and punching Niall on the shoulder. _ _

__Liam groaned. “I’m not in _love_ with—“_ _

__“Hi.”_ _

__Liam froze when he heard Harry’s drawn-out greeting, voice slow and rough as per usual, something reminiscent of how he sounded after a particularly thorough blow job and—wow, okay, Liam shivered at the thought as he turned to smile at Harry. “Hi,” he said, not missing the way Louis’ hand tightened around his waist._ _

__“Sorry we’re a few minutes late,” Harry said, waving to Niall and Zayn._ _

__Louis smiled and laughed, leaning in to press his lips against the side of Harry’s neck. “We got a little distracted. M’sure you lads understand, yeah?”_ _

__Niall glanced briefly at Liam before sending Louis a forced smile. “Sure do,” he agreed._ _

__Harry slipped out of Louis’ grasp and sat down next to Liam, patting the seat next to him for Louis so he wouldn’t get too annoyed. “Have you ordered anything yet?” he asked, directing his question towards Niall and Zayn. He knew the drill or, well, he _didn’t,_ not really, but he didn’t want to give Liam too much attention, didn’t want Louis thinking anything was _up_ or give him a reason to feel jealous. _ _

__“Not yet. Liam said you were joining us soon, so we waited,” Zayn said._ _

__Liam watched Harry fidget in his seat, saw Louis’ hand sneak over to grab his, and when he saw the collar of Harry’s sweater dip low, revealing a bruise that Liam definitely hadn’t left that morning, he felt sick._ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“So why did you storm out earlier?”_ _

__Harry’s jaw clenched when he heard Gemma behind him. Louis muttered something under his breath from where Harry was tucking Louis under the covers; his fiancé had finished more than his fair share of drinks over dinner with Liam, Niall, and Zayn, and it had been left up to Harry to get him home safely. Part of him wished he had more time to stay there because he really wanted to talk to Liam; Liam had barely spoken to him all throughout dinner. And, while he didn’t blame him, he _missed_ talking to Liam. Harry smoothed Louis’ hair back from his forehead and turned to Gemma; “Gimme a second.”_ _

__“No,” Louis whined, frowning and half-asleep, “time to sleep.”_ _

__Gemma rolled her eyes._ _

__“I’ll be in soon, Lou,” Harry promised, pressing a kiss to his forehead._ _

__Louis smiled sleepily, puckering his lips up for a kiss and whining when he didn’t get one._ _

__Harry sighed before kissing him quickly before stepping out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him._ _

__Gemma went to say something and Harry shook his head, cutting her off, and pointing towards the stairs. Gemma followed Harry down the stairs and into the kitchen, sitting down and folding her hands on tabletop and watching her brother._ _

__“I went to see Liam this morning,” Harry muttered, shifting through the cupboards until he found a bag of crisps. He joined Gemma at the table in just enough time for her to reach across the table and slap him._ _

__“You’re an idiot.”_ _

__Harry frowned, didn’t even have it in himself to protest because he _was_ an idiot. _ _

__“Like, you went to see him before your meeting at the church for your wedding?” she asked for clarification._ _

__“Yeah,” Harry said with a shrug. “I just—Liam was upset last night. I had to make sure he was alright.”_ _

__Gemma shook her head. “I don’t think you could fuck this up any more if you tried, Harry.”_ _

__“I’m sure if I _tried_ I could,” Harry grumbled, shoving a few crisps in his mouth. _ _

__“You know Louis picked a date for the wedding already?”_ _

__Harry swallowed, shaking his head._ _

__“September 20th.”_ _

__With a sigh, Harry ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “I can’t fucking do this,” he whispered._ _

__“Harry—“_ _

__“Gemma, I _can’t_ do this,” he repeated, looking up at her from between his fingers. “I can’t marry him. I don’t wanna—I wanna be with _Liam._ ”_ _

__Gemma sighed, reaching over and grabbing Harry’s hand with her own; she didn’t even have it in her to be annoyed or upset with him. She could see the situation was tearing him apart, and she wasn’t able to make him feel worse, didn’t even _want_ to. “You gotta sort this out, H,” she told him. “Louis’s planning the wedding for four months from now. You don’t have time to—“_ _

__“I know,” Harry interrupted._ _

__“No, I don’t think you _do,_ Harry,” she whispered. “This is—“_ _

__“Well, I didn’t fucking _plan_ it, Gemma!” Harry announced, tugging his hand out of hers and messing with his hair. “It’s not like I planned _any_ of this. I just—I have to figure it out, alright? I know what I have to do—“_ _

__“Then do it!” Gemma said with a laugh, shaking her head. “Just _do_ it and get it over with. Because dragging it out is gonna make it that much worse.”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__A week later and Louis and Harry were back in London, leaving Liam alone in Holmes Chapel with too much free time to think. Zayn and Niall were helpful, for the most part, trying to distract him from his thoughts. But it didn’t always work, and Liam found himself going on more runs than he had before; he even took it upon himself to start planning on redecorating the entire house._ _

__(And, well, he might’ve even adopted a kitten that he had saved from a house fire a few weeks before. Josh hadn’t been wrong when he had joked about Liam going back to check on it—he did and ended up adopting it since it had been a stray. And Loki, bless his soul, took to the little kitten—that Liam had named Thor because the kitten happened to be ginger—like a natural, sleeping next to her and everything. Liam didn’t even care that Zayn mocked him relentlessly for naming his female kitten after a male Norse God.)_ _

__And it worked, usually, until Liam would glance at his mobile to see texts from Harry that he swore he wouldn’t answer but always did; cute little messages about whatever happened throughout the day and borderline salacious messages about how Harry couldn’t wait to see him again. And Liam felt awful, he truly did, even tried not to message Harry back, but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t help the way he loved Harry, had always loved Harry, _would_ always love Harry; it was something deeper, something ingrained in him from a young age. Whenever he doubted anything else, he never doubted Harry, and that hadn’t changed. And he couldn’t help how much he loved him, how he would do anything for him, wait for him however long he had to. He knew Harry wasn’t a liar; he knew Harry would break off his engagement—but the waiting? _ _

__That was the worst part._ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“Not that I am not completely and utterly flattered and rendered speechless by the fact that you want to willingly spend time with me again, Harold, but I must ask—what’s wrong this time?”_ _

__Harry rolled his eyes at the end of Nick’s pseudo-speech and raised his eyebrows, holding his palms out as he waited for a moment or two. “Are you done lamenting?”_ _

__Nick pursed is lips and nodded; he shrugged as he picked up his glass of wine and took a drink. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”_ _

__“Nothing’s _wrong,_ ” Harry said quietly, picking a piece of bread out of the basket on the table and ripping the edges off. He waited for another minute or two until Nick kicked his foot under the table._ _

__“You do know I only get an hour lunch break, right? I’ve got to get back on set or your precious _fiancé_ will try to get me fired—again,” he added with another roll of his eyes._ _

__“That was a mistake, and you know it.”_ _

__Nick laughed, resting his chin on his palm. “Still defending his honor, Harold, that’s adorable. The bottom line is, your fiancé hates working with me, and I love every minute of it.”_ _

__“Maybe he wouldn’t hate working with you if you hadn’t flaunted that we…y’know…before he and I got together,” Harry said with a shrug._ _

__“We had sex, Harry; it’s not a bad word. And it was a year before you and Louis even got together,” he pointed out._ _

__“I know. But you know how he gets,” Harry replied._ _

__Nick sighed dramatically and picked the piece of bread out of Harry’s hand, popping it into his mouth. “Yeah, possessive and jealous,” he muttered._ _

__“Nick,” Harry sighed, “can’t we just enjoy lunch?”_ _

__“Of course we can,” he agreed easily, “once you get to the point.”_ _

__Harry looked down at his hands, thankful when the waitress stopped by with their lunch, setting steaming hot plates in front of them. Harry thanked her quietly before picking up his fork and stirring the noodles, glancing up at Nick; Nick was just sat there, hands folded, eyes on Harry._ _

__“We haven’t had lunch together since the two of you got engaged,” Nick said slowly, thoughtfully. “Does he even know you’re here? I’m sure he’d throw a proper diva fit if he did.”_ _

__“He doesn’t, no,” he replied with a small shake of his head._ _

__“Not that I don’t absolutely love making his life miserable, but—“_ _

__“I cheated on him,” Harry spit out, quickly shoving a bite of pasta into his mouth._ _

__Nick’s jaw dropped, his fork poised halfway to his mouth. “You—Wha— _What_?!”_ _

__Harry nodded, wiping at his mouth with his napkin. “Yeah. Well, I _am_ cheating on him,” he amended with a bit of a pout. _ _

__“When? Who? And why wasn’t it me?” Nick added with a grin._ _

__Harry felt himself smile a little bit. “It was…when I went back home a couple of weeks ago, when…Louis started to plan the wedding and…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I can’t marry him.”_ _

__“I could’ve told you that. Actually, I _did_ tell you that, the day after he proposed, remember?”_ _

__Harry frowned at him._ _

__Nick held up a hand in surrender. “I’m just saying.”_ _

__“I know,” he said softly. “I don’t _want_ to marry him.”_ _

__“I think I’m missing the vital piece of information here— _who_ was it?”_ _

__“Do you…remember me telling you about Liam?”_ _

__“Sexy, fit firefighter Liam whom you left in order to pursue a career in law here in the city? Of course.”_ _

__“Yeah, him.”_ _

__Nick laughed. “I can’t believe you slept with Liam.”_ _

__“Multiple times.”_ _

__“I think I’m proud of you, Harold,” Nick said, wiping away a fake tear from his eye._ _

__“This is serious, Nick, I cheated on my fiancé,” Harry pouted. “What am I going to do? I have to end it.”_ _

__“Yes, you do. Do you want to be with Liam?”_ _

__“Of course I do,” he answered immediately. “I’ve always wanted to be with Liam.”_ _

__“But you left him years ago.”_ _

__“Because I would’ve resented him if I hadn’t,” Harry explained. “We wanted different things at the time, but in the long run, we’ve always wanted each other. And that hasn’t changed. He’s always been it for me.”_ _

__“Gotta do it like a plaster, mate. A lad like Tomlinson isn’t gonna be happy no matter what. It’s best just to get it over it,” Nick told him with a shrug._ _

__Harry sighed. “That’s what Gemma said. I just… I don’t want to hurt him, y’know? He’s been good to me—“_ _

__Nick scoffed. “Please, he’s a controlling bastard and you know it.”_ _

__“Don’t be rude, Nick—“_ _

__“Fine, he’s a controlling bastard who _loves_ you, whatever,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “You still gotta end it. Did you tell Liam you would?”_ _

__Harry nodded. “Because I _will,_ ” he assured him. “It’s just…timing, you know? You guys are almost finished filming the season and—“_ _

__“Fuck that,” Nick interrupted. “Fuck that. Do it now, or you’ll regret it. You’ll make Louis feel worse, you’ll feel like shit, and Liam won’t trust you and, worst case, he won’t even want to be with you. So you gotta just suck it up and just do it, yeah?”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“Heard you went to lunch with Grimshaw.”_ _

__Harry looked up from his iPad, sitting up straight from where he had been lying against the pillows on their bed. “Did you?”_ _

__“Why didn’t you tell me?” Louis asked, leaning out of the doorway of the bathroom as he combed his hair._ _

__“Why are you spying on me?” Harry muttered under his breath, hoping Louis wouldn’t hear him but also not really caring if he _did.__ _

__“What was that?”_ _

__“Said I didn’t want to upset you,” Harry said, glancing up at him._ _

__Louis rolled his eyes. “Then you shouldn’t be off gallivanting with Grimshaw, of all people. You know how I feel about him.”_ _

__“I’ve been his friend longer than I’ve known you, Louis,” Harry said gently, not wanting to upset him and cause yet another fight. Those seemed to be happening all the time lately and over the most miniscule things. Harry didn’t know if he was more on edge because of the Liam Situation but he was just annoyed._ _

__Louis pursed his lips. “I just don’t think you should be hanging out with people you’ve fucked when you have a fiancé,” he snapped._ _

__Harry sighed. “So because I’m your fiancé, you now get to decide who I’m friends with?”_ _

__“I just think—“_ _

__“You just think you can decide who I’m friends with,” Harry interrupted. “A relationship isn’t about ownership or control, Louis, it’s about compromise. I’m sorry my friendship with Nick makes you uncomfortable, but I’m not going to stop being his friend.”_ _

__“He’s your ex, Harry, he’s not _just_ a friend, is he?” Louis asked._ _

__“He is now—and you know we were never together, we just—“_ _

__“Hooked up, I know,” Louis said, aggravated. He tossed the comb down on the sink, turning the light of the bathroom off and stepping out into their bedroom; he stared Harry down as he crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. Or the way he talks about you when you aren’t there.”_ _

__“He does it to get a rise out of you, and you know it,” Harry pointed out. “If you didn’t get so upset, he would stop.”_ _

__“That doesn’t make it right.”_ _

__“That also doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do!” Harry exclaimed, setting his iPad down on the bed and standing up. He walked straight past Louis and out of the bedroom, making his way to the kitchen._ _

__“Harry,” Louis sighed, following him, “I’m not trying to tell you what to do—“_ _

__“Yes, you _are,_ Louis,” Harry grumbled, opening up the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water, taking a long drink. _ _

__“I just—“_ _

__“You don’t want me to hang out with Nick, you don’t want me spending time with Liam, you want calla lilies instead of frangipanis, and you want—“_ _

__“Is this _seriously_ about the flowers for the wedding?” Louis interrupted with a scoff._ _

__“No!” Harry yelled. “It’s about you trying to control every little thing that I do!”_ _

__Louis sucked in a deep breath. “You are my fiancé, Harry—“_ _

__“No, _we_ are _engaged,_ ” Harry corrected him. “You always have to make it out to be some sort of ownership or possession—I’m _yours_ and I’m _your_ fiancé. This is supposed to be a relationship, a _partnership._ We’re supposed to be equals, Louis,” he explained, his voice coming out in a rush, his cheeks flushed red. _ _

__“We’re not equals, though, are we, Harry? Let’s face it, if we were equals, we wouldn’t be living in a flat this nice,” Louis commented._ _

__Harry paused, his head tilting towards the side. “So now you’re getting in snide jabs about my income,” he muttered incredulously. “Amazing. I know I don’t make as much as you, but that does not give you the right to act like you own me. You’re not my master or my mother, you’re my _fiancé,_ ” Harry said sadly, his voice lowering. _ _

__“If you’re really making this big of deal about the bloody flowers, Harry, we can have frangipanis, alright? Even though I’m the one paying for it—“_ _

__“I never asked you to, Louis! And this isn’t about the bloody flowers, for Christ’s sake—you’re missing the entire point,” he told him. Harry sighed, shaking his head; he ran his hands over his hair and let out a puff of laughter. “This isn’t about the flowers.”_ _

__“Then what _is_ it about?” Louis asked, frowning as he leaned back against the counter._ _

__Harry shook his head again, could feel the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, and he reached up to rub them with his palm. “This isn’t—“ he paused, sniffling. “This isn’t the kind of relationship I want, Louis. I don’t want to argue about money or flowers or who I go to lunch with,” he whispered, and inside, he knew this was _the moment._ He could easily break off the engagement, break off everything; it was the perfect moment, and yet… “This isn’t—I think we should—“_ _

__“Stop, please, Harry,” Louis interrupted quietly, holding a hand up. “We’re both tired and angry. We shouldn’t—Let’s not say something we can’t take back, alright?”_ _

__“But I—“_ _

__“Please,” Louis pleaded, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Let’s just…go to bed, okay? Talk about this rationally in the morning.”_ _

__Harry pursed his lips. “Fine,” he snapped. “If you need time, you’ll get time.”_ _

__“I didn’t say—“_ _

__Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes. “No, let’s just stop having a conversation because _you_ want to. I know the drill,” he said, pushing past him and walking back towards the bedroom. He pulled his overnight bag out from the closet and started tossing in a change of clothes and his iPad._ _

__Louis sighed softly from the doorway. “Harry, c’mon, let’s just go to bed,” he repeated._ _

__“I don’t want to go to bed, Louis. I _want_ to have a conversation with you and actually finish it for once. But every time we do, one of us gets upset, and you immediately put an end to it because you don’t want to deal with it. People get upset, okay? And people argue. I want to have this conversation now and _you_ don’t want to. That’s how it always goes,” he muttered, tossing in his charger before walking into the bathroom. He gathered his toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant, shoving them into his bag before zipping them up._ _

__“I don’t want either of us to say something we’ll regret. We both know that in the morning, we’ll be fine…right?” Louis asked, his voice tapering off at the end._ _

__Harry didn’t say anything, he just pulled on a pair of trainers and a hoodie, not even caring that his sweatpants were about three years old and faded—the person he was going to see wouldn’t give a shit about that, either._ _

__“Harry?” Louis asked softly, walking over to him and reaching out for his arm._ _

__Harry jerked away, tossing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. He shoved his wallet and mobile into the pocket of his hoodie and reached for his keys. “I’m going home for a little bit,” he told him. “I’ll be back in a couple of days.”_ _

__“Harry, don’t go, c’mon,” he pleaded, reaching for his arm again. “C’mon, don’t. Say we’re all right, yeah? It’s just a fight. We’ll talk about it, and we’ll be okay, yeah?”_ _

__“I don’t _know,_ Louis,” Harry answered softly, honestly. “I just—I’m really upset right now, alright? And I don’t want to be around you. So I’m going to go home, you’re going to go to work, and I’ll be back in a couple of days,” he repeated. _ _

__Louis sucked in a deep breath and nodded slowly. “But you will be back, right?” he asked, and that was the only time Harry could remember that Louis ever sounded _unsure.__ _

__“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “I will be.”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__By the time Harry got to Liam’s house, he was exhausted. It was a long drive, and it didn’t help matters that he was already upset and had cried half of the way there. He didn’t bother locking his car as he trudged towards the door, the strap of his bag hoisted over his shoulder. He dug out the hideaway key from under the mat in front of the door and let himself in, locking the door again behind him. He could hear the television on upstairs, and he made his way towards Liam’s room._ _

__“What the—Hazza—“_ _

__“Hi,” Harry whispered, dropping his bag in the doorway and shrugging off his hoodie. He kicked his trainers aside before shucking off his sweatpants, leaving him just in his pants, and he climbed onto the bed, curling up against Liam’s side._ _

__Liam reached for the remote, muting the television, and he wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist. “Are you all right?”_ _

__“We got into a huge fight,” Harry said quietly, kicking at the duvet until Liam laughed softly and pulled it out from under Harry, bunching it around his waist. “I had to get away.”_ _

__“You’re always welcome here,” Liam said honestly, sincerely, because Liam’s house had always been Harry’s home away from home, and that would never change._ _

__“Do you work tomorrow?” Harry asked, pressing his lips against the side of Liam’s neck._ _

__Liam nodded. “Yeah, but you can stay here while I work, if you want,” he told him, rubbing his back slowly._ _

__Harry smiled, just barely, the corner of his lips tilting upward. “I don’t deserve you. You’re too good to me,” he murmured._ _

__With a shake of his head, Liam nestled himself back against the pillow, causing Harry to crawl on top of him and bury his face in his neck. “How about we get some rest, yeah?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Harry nodded, wrapping an arm around Liam’s waist as he twisted their legs together. He sucked in a deep breath, eyes drifting open long enough to catch sight of a little ginger fluffball on the pillow next to Liam. “Liam.”_ _

__“Hmm?”_ _

__“Why is there a cat on your pillow?”_ _

__Liam laughed, reaching over to scratch the kitten’s neck. “This is Thor. She’s Loki’s new best friend.”_ _

__Harry sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes. “You got a kitten?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Liam said with a nod. “I actually rescued her from a building a few weeks ago. When I went to check on her, no one had adopted her yet. And she had these sad little eyes, and I couldn’t say no.” Liam smiled fondly, scratching the kitten’s ears._ _

__“And you…named her Thor?” Harry asked with a small laugh._ _

__Liam laughed and shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, look at her. And Loki loves her. And I do, too.”_ _

__Harry smiled and reached over to the kitten, scratching along her spine and giggling when she purred, stretching out along the pillow and rolling over onto her back. He rubbed her belly for a moment before curling up against Liam again. “She’s adorable. And you’ve always been bad at saying no to something so cute. That’s how I keep ending up in your bed,” he added softly._ _

__“That’s because I love you, nothing else,” Liam said, and it felt so weird and so _refreshing_ to say it out loud. Even though he knew he loved Harry, and Harry knew that Liam _had_ loved him, it was entirely different to hear it again._ _

__Harry sniffled, looking up at Liam. “Still?”_ _

__Liam nodded, swallowing. “There hasn’t been a time in my life when I haven’t loved you, Harry,” he whispered._ _

__“But everything’s so fucked up now—“_ _

__“We’ll get through it,” Liam assured him, running his fingers over Harry’s curls. “We will.”_ _

__“Good,” Harry whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips quickly against Liam’s. “I love you, too, Liam.”_ _

__Liam smiled, smoothing his knuckles over Harry’s cheek. “Get some rest, Hazza.”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Harry barely even woke up when Liam got ready for work; he had felt the bed shift, heard a quiet little meow from Thor, and was dozing off again. The faint brush if Liam's lips against his forehead caused him to smile, a whispered "love you, H, see you soon," set his skin on fire and he fell back asleep wishing every morning could be that perfect._ _

__When he awoke a second time it was to warm droplets of water on his bare back and lips trailing down his spine. He instinctively arched his back, pulling the pillow a little bit closer to his chest. He felt Liam's hands massaging the back of his thighs and, when he went to roll over, Liam stopped him._ _

__"Li—"_ _

__"Let me take care of you, H," Liam whispered against his skin._ _

__And Harry complied easily, always did where Liam was concerned, and he squeezed his eyes shut when he felt Liam's lips at the small of his back. Liam trailed his hands up Harry's thighs to cup his bum, thumbs pressing and spreading him open, his tongue sliding across his hole. Harry whimpered, burying his face in the pillow, pushing his hips back without a second thought. It had been— It had been _so long_ since anyone had touched him like that; he knew Liam was the only one he would ever let touch him like that, put his mouth on him, eat him out. He never wanted it from anyone else, and it wasn't as if Louis had ever been eager to do it, eager to try, said it wasn't his thing, and Harry didn't mind._ _

__But this? Harry gasped as Liam's tongue worked across his hole, hips lips creating a soft suction that had Harry's knees shaking. Liam's tongue pressed in, dipping and licking and setting Harry's skin on fire. His cock was hard, trapped between his belly and the sheets, and Harry rocked his hips, desperate for the delicious friction against his cock and wanting more, more, _more_ of Liam's mouth._ _

__"Li—I'm gonna— _Fuck_ ," Harry whimpered, reaching behind him to try to find any part of Liam, finding his shoulder and digging his nails in._ _

__"Come for me, babe," Liam whispered against his hole, voice reverberating across his skin as Liam used his thumbs to spread Harry's cheeks, blowing a little puff of air across his hole._ _

__Harry keened loudly as Liam licked across his again, tongue darting in and out and around, wet and messy and so, so good. He spread his legs a little wider, rising onto his knees a little bit, and he could feel Liam's scruff against the inside of his thighs, scratching. He released Liam's shoulder and fisted his cock, jerking himself off roughly, quickly, and in time with the way Liam's tongue was fucking into his hole. He didn't even have time to blurt out a warning or say anything; he came instantly when he felt Liam's teeth nip at his sensitive rim, a cry of Liam's name leaving his lips. Harry collapsed back on the bed, hips still in the air and Liam's mouth still on him, and he whimpered pathetically. "Li—"_ _

__"Shh," Liam whispered, kissing messily at his hole before sliding in two fingers and watching Harry's back arch again._ _

__"I can't—Oh, _God,_ " Harry groaned, loud and licentious, as he felt the tip of Liam's fingers nudge his prostate. He could feel his cock stirring against his belly again; he hadn't even had the change to go a little soft at all, didn't even think he could go another round, but—Liam twisted his fingers, slid this tongue across Harry's wet hole, and Harry was already hard again._ _

__"Yeah?" Liam encouraged, smiling as he reached around Harry's chest to palm at his cock. "Good?"_ _

__Harry nodded, panting against the pillow, feeling completely overwhelmed. "Yeah," he whined, his body not knowing whether to push back against his fingers or fuck forward into his fist. "Li— _Fuck_ —"_ _

__Liam laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the small of Harry's back, nudging a third finger into him and stretching him out. He watched in awe as Harry just pushed back against him, hips moving in slow little circles, and he let go of Harry's cock, reaching down to palm his own._ _

__And Harry didn't want it to end, didn't ever want Liam to stop touching him. His body was shaking, every nerve on fire, and it had been so _long._ Everything with Louis had always felt a little clinical, Harry usually getting himself ready because Louis would be exhausted but still up for a shag when he got home from work; it had been ages since he felt Louis' fingers open him up. But Liam— Liam was taking his time, going slowly and thoroughly, until Harry was trembling beneath his fingertips. He felt Liam's fingers pressing against that spot inside of him and he moaned, pressing his face into the pillow. "Oh, God, fuck me, Li, please, I—" he cut himself off with another moan when Liam's fingers twisted. "Wanna feel you, c'mon."_ _

__"Yeah," Liam agreed with a nod, slipping his fingers out and watching Harry's hole clench around nothing. He couldn't stop himself from leaning down and licking across him again, feeling Harry's body shake beneath him._ _

__"Li," Harry whimpered pathetically, "c'mon."_ _

__Liam nodded again and readjusted Harry's hips until he was on his knees, his chest still pressed flat against the mattress. He nudged Harry's knees further apart, guiding himself towards his hole; the wet head of his cock slipped across Harry's hole, smearing precome across his pale skin. Liam nudged across his hole, feeling Harry jerk beneath him, before pushing in quickly, Harry clenching around him. He cursed under his breath as he bottomed out, stilling for a moment before Harry wiggled his hips a little bit, and he rocked his hips forward._ _

__"Li, m'not gonna—just—" Harry choked out; his brain was a mess and he wasn't even sure what he was _trying_ to say._ _

__Liam fucked into him roughly, quickly, snapping his hips forward while Harry moaned beneath him. He knew Harry wouldn't last, not on the verge of his second orgasm, and Liam was close because it was _Harry_ and he hadn't stopped thinking about him all day. He thrust into him a little harder, reaching down to where Harry's fingers were curled against the sheets, and he slotted their fingers together, pressing his chest against the long line of Harry's back._ _

__Harry panted, feeling Liam's lips and teeth across the back of his neck. He squeezed Liam's hand, pushing his hips back in time with his thrusts, and he wanted _more._ "Harder, Li," Harry whispered, whimpering._ _

__Liam nodded and sat up, pulling Harry with him and keeping their bodies flush together. He gripped Harry's hip tightly, bringing one of his legs up to brace himself on the mattress, grunting as he fucked up harder into Harry's little body._ _

__Harry cried out, his head falling back onto Liam's shoulder, his eyes drifting shut. He gripped Liam's hand tightly as he felt the familiar coil unwinding in the pit of his stomach. "M'gonna—Li—"_ _

__"Yeah," Liam panted out, hips snapping up and into him. He let go of Harry's hip to fist his cock, sloppy and the angle was all wrong but it didn't stop Harry from keening beneath his touch, cock twitching as he came again, spilling across his chest and Liam's fist, body boneless and spent. Liam held him upright as he fucked into him once, twice, and again until he came in thick spurts, Harry's hole clenching around him. He hesitated for a moment before lying back on the bed, pulling Harry on top of him, and he sucked in a deep breath._ _

__"Shit," Harry whispered, wiggling against the mattress as he felt a little bit of Liam's spunk slide down the back of his thighs._ _

__Liam grunted in agreement, running his fingertips across Harry's abdomen, through the traces of spunk and feeling him twitch._ _

__Harry tilted his head back, looking up at Liam with a sleepy soft smile on his face. "Hey, Li?"_ _

__Liam cracked open one eye to glance down at him. "Yeah, babe?"_ _

__"Did we scare Thor off?"_ _

__Liam laughed loudly, rolling over onto his side to face Harry. "We have sex like _that_ and you're worried about the kitten?"_ _

__"It's her bed, too, Liam," Harry reminded him. "It's not fair if—"_ _

__"It's our bed," Liam corrected._ _

__Harry smiled softly, turning into his side until they were face-to-face. "Yeah?"_ _

__"Mhmm," Liam agreed, sliding a hand down Harry's side and to his back, brushing across his bum. "Will be, anyway."_ _

__"It _will,_ " Harry said with a nod. "I promise—"_ _

__"I know, H," Liam whispered._ _

__Harry swallowed. "How can you be so patient?" he asked quietly, in awe._ _

__"Because I love you," he answered easily. "Why are so hesitant?"_ _

__"Because I'm scared," Harry admitted. "I'm scared of losing or upsetting you. I'm scared of hurting Louis. I'm scared of us not working out—"_ _

__"Why wouldn't we?" he asked softly._ _

__"Because we've changed, Liam," Harry said quietly. "We're not the same people. What if—"_ _

__"But we still want the same things; we still want each other, and we still love each other," Liam pointed out._ _

__"I know," Harry whispered. "I'm just scared."_ _

__"Don't be," Liam told him, leaning forward to brush their lips together. "I'm sure, Harry. When it comes to you, I'm _sure._ "_ _

__Harry nodded slowly. "Thank you."_ _

__Liam smiled softly, trailing his fingertips across the back of Harry's thighs._ _

__"I don't think it's physically possible for me to go another round yet," he whispered._ _

__Liam laughed. "I know. I was just thinking that we need to clean up," he mused, brushing his fingers against Harry's wet hole, feeling his spunk dribble out a little bit._ _

__"Can't walk. You'll have to carry me," Harry said with a grin, cuddling closer to Liam's chest._ _

__"You're lucky you're cute," Liam said with a grin, sitting up and reaching for Harry. "C'mon. Time to shower."_ _

__"Or we could take a bath instead?" Harry suggested. "I'll even let you wash my hair."_ _

__"Cheeky," Liam whispered before leaning down to kiss him. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Styles. I accept the challenge."_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“Oi, Grimshaw—“_ _

__“To what do I owe this _fabulous_ honor, Mr. Tomlinson?” Nick announced, spinning around in his seat. He rested his elbows on his knees, his chin on his palm, and he smiled up at Louis. _ _

__Louis rolled his eyes. “Listen—“_ _

__“Listening, Your Highness,” Nick interrupted with a wide grin, batting his eyelashes._ _

__“So I’m—“_ _

__“Your Majesty—“_ _

__“You fucking—“_ _

__“My _Queen,_ ” Nick added with an eyeroll and a dramatic sigh, fanning at himself. “I must be so blessed to have _the_ Louis Tomlinson giving me the time of day. Are you trying to get me fired again?”_ _

__Louis bit the inside of his cheek, crossing his arms over his chest. “I apologized for that.”_ _

__“Not nearly enough,” Nick tsked, shrugging. He stared Louis down for a moment before readjusting in his chair, slouching just a little bit. “I don’t have to be on set for fifteen minutes, and I’d love to nod off for a bit. So how can I help you?”_ _

__“I’m planning a surprise engagement party for Harry,” Louis stated. “He and I had a bit of an altercation, so I’m throwing a party to…” he trailed of, looking for the right word._ _

__Nick pursed his lips. “Apologize?” he offered._ _

__Louis snapped his fingers. “Yes. That.”_ _

__“How is a party an apology?”_ _

__“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Grimshaw,” Louis muttered through gritted teeth. “I…wanted to invite you.”_ _

__Nick laughed, running a hand over his face. “You wanted to invite me to this party?”_ _

__“Yes, well, you’re Harry’s friend—“_ _

__“Much to your disappointment,” he mused._ _

__Louis narrowed his eyes. “Indeed,” he agreed easily. “So, it’s in Holmes Chapel next weekend, on Saturday. I’ve already talked to his mum and she’s inviting everyone up there,” he said with a shrug. “Will you go?”_ _

__Nick hesitated, thinking of Harry and his current predicament and…well, Harry could always use someone to talk to if anything happened, and he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Harry returned home on a Tuesday afternoon, expecting Louis to be on set or otherwise occupied, but he was surprised to find Louis lounging on the couch, messing about with his iPad. Louis’ head snapped up the minute he heard the door open and he slowly set his iPad aside, standing up and hesitating. He went to take a step forward and paused, letting Harry walk into the living area and set his bag down._ _

__“Hi,” Louis greeted quietly, shoving his thumb into the pocket of his jeans._ _

__Harry forced a smile. “I thought you’d be on set.”_ _

__“I, um, one of the lights broke and they sent us home,” Louis explained._ _

__Harry nodded._ _

__“Are you—“ Louis paused, shaking his head. “Are we alright?”_ _

__“I think we—I think we need to talk about some things, Louis,” Harry told him quietly._ _

__“We can,” he agreed with a nod. “Can I show you just one thing, first?”_ _

__Harry bit his lip and nodded._ _

__Louis smiled. “Okay, c’mere,” he said, motioning towards the couch. He sat down again, reaching for his iPad, and he thumbed through the pages until he found the right one. “I was thinking we could ask Lou if Lux could be the flower girl? I know it’s really traditional and we had talked about doing something different but—I thought she would look really cute in this,” he explained, showing Harry the white chiffon dress; there was an emerald green sash around the waist, short enough to where it wouldn’t get dirty, and it had little cap sleeves._ _

__Harry smiled in spite of the situation, a little laugh leaving his lips. “Lux would manage to find the only mud puddle in all of Holmes Chapel and ruin this. But she would look so cute doing so.”_ _

__“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Louis agreed. “Are you alright with this? I want it to be a joint decision.”_ _

__Harry nodded slowly. “Yeah, s’fine, Lou.”_ _

__Louis breathed a sigh of relief, glancing over at Harry from the corner of his eye; he watched as Harry shrugged and stood up, the hem of his shirt pulled tight across his neck, and he saw the faintest hint of a bruise peeking out of the collar. He swallowed, sinking back against the couch, and he ran a hand over his eyes. “How was your visit with your mum?”_ _

__“Good,” Harry said quickly, picking up the strap of his bag. “You would know. You talked to her yesterday.”_ _

__“Yeah,” Louis agreed, feeling his stomach twist. Maybe it was—Maybe it was the light or something, maybe it wasn’t…what he thought it was, maybe… He shook his head and stood up again; if Harry wanted _out,_ he could just—No, _no,_ he wasn’t going there. “I’m going to call the Church. September 20th?”_ _

__Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and he felt sick. “September 20th,” he said with a nod. “I’m going to shower, then I’ll make us some supper, yeah?”_ _

__“I could always order—“_ _

__“Can I just make you supper, please?” Harry asked with a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face._ _

__“Oh,” Louis said with a start, eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded. “Yeah, of—of course you can, Haz. Thank you.”_ _

__Harry sent him a tight-lipped smile before disappearing down the hallway and into the bathroom._ _

__

__+_ _

__

__One of the last people Liam expected to walk into the diner was Gemma. Although, really, it wasn’t too big of a surprise because he had heard the rumors about her and Niall, didn’t really buy into them, but—the way she leaned across the bar and ruffled his hair while demanding an order of cheesy chips was _interesting._ Liam had to hand it to Niall, he certainly knew how to draw ‘em in. Niall grinned at Gemma before darting off behind the partition, yelling something towards the cook in a mixture of Irish slang and a thick accent that had Liam’s head spinning. _ _

__“What are you doing Saturday, Liam?”_ _

__Liam glanced over at Gemma, eyes wide. “Sorry?”_ _

__“Saturday,” she repeated, sending him the same scathing look that Harry had sent him multiple times when they were growing up. “Do you have plans?”_ _

__“I think Niall, Zayn, Josh, and I were—“_ _

__“You have plans,” Gemma interrupted with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been told to invite you to Harry and Louis’ engagement party.”_ _

__Liam swallowed. “What?”_ _

__“Mum told me to invite you,” Gemma said quietly. “She doesn’t…know,” she added, sending Liam a _look.__ _

__He shook his head. “Gemma, it’s not—“_ _

__“I want him to end it almost as much as you do, Liam,” she admitted. “I’ve never liked Louis.”_ _

__“He seems nice.”_ _

__Gemma laughed. “Right, well, he can be as nice as he wants, he isn’t right for my brother. You are.”_ _

__“Listen, Gem, I don’t know what Harry told you—“_ _

__“Liam, do you really think I’m going to _judge_ you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and staring him down. “I’ve been rooting for you this whole time.”_ _

__Liam looked down at his hands, biting his lip. “Me, too,” he admitted. “I didn’t—I didn’t think I’d ever get another chance, you know?”_ _

__“I knew it would happen. Harry just had to get his head out of his arse,” Gemma said with a grin._ _

__Liam laughed softly as Niall joined them again, sliding a plate of chips across the counter and smiling up at Gemma. “Do I want to know what’s going on here?”_ _

__“Probably not,” Niall said with an exaggerated wink, stealing one of the chips from Gemma’s plate. “What’s going on here?”_ _

__“Liam just agreed to come to Harry and Louis’ engagement party on Saturday.”_ _

__“I did _not_ agree to—“_ _

__“That’s brilliant!” Niall declared, raising a fist in the air. “Best place to sabo—I mean…congratulate the couple,” he amended, looking down at the floor sheepishly._ _

__“Sabotage sounds right,” Gemma muttered._ _

__Niall sent Gemma a stare. “Why would you think I meant sabotage?”_ _

__“Because Liam’s been fucking my little brother for the past few weeks?”_ _

__Liam coughed, sputtered a little bit, his cheeks flushing. “Gemma—“_ _

__“Well, you _have,_ ” she said with a roll of her eyes. “And since I can’t talk mum out of this ridiculous engagement party, we’re all going. Besides, Louis wants Liam there.”_ _

__“You left that part out,” Liam grumbled, feeling his breath catch in his throat. If Louis wanted him there—_ _

__“Wait, why does Louis want Liam there?” Niall asked._ _

__“He knows you two were friends in school. Apparently that’s all he knows. He said to invite the rest of you as well,” she said with a wave of her hand._ _

__“I can’t go, Gemma,” Liam whispered. “I can’t sit there and watch Harry with Louis, yeah? I can’t—I can’t pretend to be happy for him—“_ _

__“I’m not asking you to, Liam,” Gemma interrupted. “It’s just… Harry’s all about big gestures, yeah? He always has been.”_ _

__“That’s brilliant, that,” Niall said suddenly, with a snap of his fingers. “It’s the perfect place to declare your undying love for him.”_ _

__Liam rolled his eyes. “He knows I love him. I saw him three days ago.”_ _

__“Liam, you _have_ to go,” Niall insisted. “Maybe that’ll be the kick in the arse the twat needs, yeah?”_ _

__Liam sighed. “ _If_ I go—“_ _

__“So you’ll go?” Gemma asked, perking up._ _

__Liam rolled his eyes, shoulders slumping as he shook his head. “Yeah, I’ll go,” he muttered, knowing he was going to give in eventually so—why even bother trying to fight it?_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__Harry should’ve known something was up by the way Louis had been acting all week; it wasn’t that Louis wasn’t affectionate or anything, it was just that he wasn’t _over the top._ He was a lot more private than Harry, and not just because he was somewhat in the spotlight thanks to his television program, and Harry had gotten used to that. Which was why the sudden onslaught of pet names and casual little touches whenever they went out to supper throughout the week. Harry wasn’t used to the way Louis would slide their fingers together or press his lips to the side of Harry’s neck after ordering some Nandos, and it did nothing to quell the guilt bubbling in the pit of his stomach. And it didn’t prevent the confusion that Saturday morning when Louis loaded an overnight bag into the back of the Range Rover and demanded Harry hand over the keys._ _

__“Where are we going?” Harry asked suspiciously, digging the keys out of his pocket and tucking them in his hand._ _

__Louis rolled his eyes. “It’s a surprise,” he repeated for the tenth time, holding his hand out for the keys. “Keys, please?”_ _

__“But _where_ are we going? Do we need to stop for petrol—“_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

__“But where—“_ _

__“Harry!” Louis interrupted with a laugh. “C’mon, trust me on this, yeah? It’ll be good for us. I promise.”_ _

__Harry wanted to protest, wanted more information, wanted to know _something,_ but…he really didn’t have any right to demand answers from Louis when he was hiding so much himself. So he sucked it up and handed over the keys, letting out a surprised little gasp when Louis leaned forward and kissed him in the middle of the sidewalk. “Louis—“_ _

__“Get in,” Louis told him, swatting at his bum before walking around towards the driver’s side._ _

__“You’re acting strange,” Harry grumbled, climbing into the passenger’s seat and looking over at him. “Are you going to take me on a road trip to a deserted location so you can kill me and hide my body?”_ _

__“Yes,” Louis answered with a nod, sending Harry a grin. “You guessed the surprise. I’m very proud of you. How would you like to die?”_ _

__“Preferably not at all,” Harry admitted quietly._ _

__Louis laughed as he steered them onto the road, settling in for the drive. “I’m just…trying, yeah? I know you’ve been unhappy lately—“_ _

__“Louis,” Harry whispered, shaking his head._ _

__“No, you have been,” Louis interrupted. “And I know I’ve taken over the wedding. I know I’m the one who pushed for an earlier date but, fuck, Harry—I wanna be your husband, yeah? I love you. And I wanna make this work. It’s just a rough patch,” he said, repeating his words from earlier._ _

__“What if we can’t get over some rough patches?” he asked, his voice quiet, nearly silent in the car under the thrum of traffic._ _

__“Marriage isn’t about giving up—“_ _

__“We’re not even married yet, Louis.”_ _

__“Cold feet,” Louis said dismissively, waving a hand in Harry’s general direction. “The point is—we’re trying… _I’m_ trying.”_ _

__Harry swallowed, forcing himself to nod before looking out the window, mumbling some sort of reply. Louis must’ve found it acceptable because he left the subject drop as he turned on the music, filling the silence in the car with The Script. Harry settled back into the seat, letting his eyes drift shut; by the time he opened him, they were in Holmes Chapel and he was sitting up straight, staring out the window. “We’re in Holmes Chapel?” he asked, voice rough from sleep, and he cleared his throat._ _

__“Yeah,” Louis said with a nod, turning into the driveway of Anne’s house and killing the engine._ _

__“The…surprise is my mum’s house?” Harry questioned, looking over at him._ _

__Louis smiled. “It’s inside. C’mon,” he said, climbing out of the vehicle._ _

__Harry slowly got out of vehicle and followed Louis to the door. “Louis…”_ _

__Louis reached back and grabbed Harry’s hand, smiling; he reached out and opened the door, ushering Harry in._ _

__The first thing that hit Harry’s senses was the smell of frangipanis. And the second thing was a room full of his family and friends, all shouting and smiling. Harry stilled, turning around to face Louis, and he forced a smile. “This—“_ _

__“Welcome to our engagement party, husband,” Louis said with a goofy smile, leaning in to kiss him._ _

__Harry looked around the room slowly, taking in the decorations littering the family room, streamers and fairy lights leading towards the kitchen. “You did all…” he trailed off when he met Liam’s eyes, felt his heart clench and his stomach drop, “this?”_ _

__“For you, yeah, of course,” Louis told him, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist from behind. He pressed his lips to Harry’s neck, right above the bruise that had been slowly fading all week. “Anything for you.”_ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“Point him out to me.”_ _

__“Shut up, Nick.”_ _

__“C’mon, Hazza, I wanna see the man who’s finally fucking you all good and proper,” Nick said with a grin, throwing an arm around Harry’s shoulders. He barely caught Louis’ eye from across the room and sent him a wink, laughing at his reaction before turning back to Harry. “C’mon, point him out.”_ _

__Harry narrowed his eyes. “Nick, we’re at my—“_ _

__“Engagement party, I know,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure I’m just as thrilled to be here as you are—“_ _

__“It was nice of Louis to invite you,” Harry interrupted. “This whole thing was…really nice,” he added, taking a look around the garden with a smile. And it really was nice; Louis had definitely gone out of his way planning such an event. It made Harry’s stomach twist up a little bit, knowing how hard Louis was trying, and it made him feel guilty, so guilty._ _

__Nick scoffed. “Please, he knows something is up with you, that’s why he did it. It’s not like he did it out of the goodness of his heart, Harold.”_ _

__“That’s rude.”_ _

__“And it’s true,” Nick said with a wave of his hand. “Louis never does things out of the goodness of his heart. Now, show me the fit firefighter.”_ _

__“Shut up,” Harry grumbled, grabbing Nick’s wrist and leading him across the garden to where Liam was standing with Zayn by the punch bowl. Although, well, Harry had a reason to believe that the punch bowl was more than punch—whatever. He shuffled his feet for a moment, catching Liam’s eye, and he smiled softly. “Hi, Li.”_ _

__Liam pursed his lips, nodding. “Harry.”_ _

__“This is my mate from London, Nick. He works on set with Louis.”_ _

__“What a pleasure that must be,” Liam muttered._ _

__Nick laughed loudly, clapping a hand down on Harry’s shoulder. “Liam, darling, you and I are going to get along just fine,” he told him with a grin._ _

__Liam nodded slowly. “Wonderful.”_ _

__“And who is this man with the most amazing bone structure I’ve ever met?” Nick asked, turning towards Zayn with his eyebrows raised, holding out his hand._ _

__“Zayn,” he introduced himself, shaking his hand. “I’ve seen you on the telly.”_ _

__Nick lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “Yes, once or twice, I imagine. I’ve got a face that easy to remember.”_ _

__“Unfortunately,” Harry teased with a grin, elbowing Nick in the side._ _

__“Oi, I’ll have you know, Harold, the people love me,” Nick insisted._ _

__“What people?” Harry asked dryly._ _

__Nick rolled his eyes, ruffling Harry’s curls. “Lovely party, then, eh? Everyone having fun?” he asked, stepping towards the punch bowl and pouring himself a cup. He winced after taking a drink, pausing for a moment before taking another. “This is vile. I love it.”_ _

__Liam snorted, pouring himself a glass and taking a long drink._ _

__“Pace yourself, Leemo,” Zayn said quietly._ _

__“Yeah how many have you had, Li?” Harry asked, his voice soft and eyebrows furrowed, reaching out to touch Liam’s forearm._ _

__Liam jerked his hand away with a frown. “I’m at your _engagement party,_ Harry.”_ _

__“I—I know—“_ _

__“So don’t you dare ask me how many I’ve had,” Liam snapped. “You’ve no right to ask me that.”_ _

__Harry recoiled, taking a step back. “Liam, I—“_ _

__“Don’t, Harry,” he whispered, setting his cup down on the table, a bit of liquid sloshing down the sides, and he stormed off._ _

__“I’ll talk to him,” Zayn said before Harry could start off after him, following Liam before Harry or Nick could say anything._ _

__“Well,” Nick declared, breaking the silence a moment later, “you sure do fancy a drama queen, eh?”_ _

__Harry pouted._ _

__

__+_ _

__

__“I must say, I’m almost impressed with you.”_ _

__Louis frowned, pushing away from the wall that he had been leaning against as Gemma approached. “Almost? That sounds like a compliment coming from you, Gem,” he muttered._ _

__“Gemma,” she corrected, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed in front of her, and she looked so much like Harry that it made Louis’ head spin._ _

__“We’re going to be family and I’m not even allowed to call you Gem? How cruel,” Louis drawled with a roll of his eyes._ _

__“Family, right,” Gemma said with a scoff. “Where’s your fiancé?”_ _

__“Mingling,” Louis informed her._ _

__“Yeah? Saw him with Nick earlier—good lad, I like him,” she announced._ _

__Louis sighed. “Of course you do. Back to your original comment, however—why are you almost impressed?”_ _

__“Oh, you know,” she said noncommittally, shrugging. “This whole ordeal.”_ _

__“This whole _ordeal_?” Louis asked. _ _

__“Yeah, you must’ve really fucked up if you planned an entire engagement party for Harry,” Gemma pointed out._ _

__Louis stuttered for a moment before shaking his head. “Engagement parties are bound to happen when a couple is _engaged._ ”_ _

__Gemma tsk’d, shaking her head. “You’re forgetting that I know you, Louis.”_ _

__“What does _that_ mean?”_ _

__“It means for your first Valentine’s Day together, you didn’t even take him to dinner. Your first Christmas, you got him a DVD set of a series he enjoys. And for his twenty-fifth birthday this year? You took him to Funky Buddah.”_ _

__Louis bit the inside of his cheek. “And?”_ _

__“You don’t _do_ ordeals like this,” Gemma said with a shrug. “So you must’ve fucked up big time to go out of your way to plan an engagement party _and_ have frangipanis. I remember the fit you threw about the florist when you thought you couldn’t have calla lilies.”_ _

__“I did not throw a _fit,_ ” Louis said with a roll of his eyes. “And I didn’t fuck up. We got into an argument, and I wanted to apologize. Two birds, one stone with this party.”_ _

__Gemma pursed her lips and nodded. “If you say so. It’s quite an impressive act, either way.”_ _

__“What are you on about, Gemma?” Louis asked with a sigh._ _

__“Nothing,” she told him with a sickly sweet smile. “Have you talked to all of your guests?”_ _

__“For the most part.”_ _

__“And…Liam?”_ _

__Louis frowned. “ _What_ are you on about?” he repeated. _ _

__“I just think it’s very big of you to invite Liam, considering his and Harry’s past,” Gemma pointed out with a grin. “I’m going to get a drink. Enjoy your party.”_ _

__Louis watched Gemma walk away before gritting his teeth. His first instinct was to find Harry immediately, demand to know what was going on, what exactly Gemma meant. But he couldn’t because he was at their _engagement_ party. And he didn’t’ want to cause a scene, wanted to work harder to make his relationship with Harry _last_ and— He caught Liam’s eye from across the living room, sent him a small smile, and he knew he what he had to do. He made his way across the room to Liam, not expecting his eyes to widen like a deer caught in the headlights as he took a step back. “Liam, glad you could make it,” Louis greeted with a smile, reaching out to shake his hand._ _

__Liam wiped his hand on his palm before shaking Louis’, releasing it quickly. “Of course. Thank you for inviting me.”_ _

__Louis nodded. “Always good to have Harry’s old mates here,” he said with a laugh._ _

__“Right, yeah, of course.”_ _

__Louis sucked in a deep breath, hesitating. “You know Harry pretty well, right?”_ _

__Liam nodded again, slower that time, his head spinning with the alcohol in his system. “Yeah, pretty well,” he agreed._ _

__“I’m trying _really_ hard to make this work, Liam,” Louis whispered softly, sadly. “I feel like he’s pulling away from me, and I’m not sure if it’s cold feet or not.”_ _

__Liam bit his lip, feeling a bit dizzy and stupid and, God, why was Louis even _talking_ to him? Liam was shit, absolute shit, because he couldn’t think of anything but dragging Harry into his childhood bedroom and fucking him, getting him out of the stupid fancy button-up that Louis must’ve bought for him, feeling skin on skin, and making him come until he cried. _ _

__“So,” Louis added with a puff of laughter, “do you have any advice? You probably know him better than anyone else here.”_ _

__Liam swallowed that thought down, shaking his head to get rid of the mental images. That—That was why he _didn’t_ drink. “What?”_ _

__“Advice?” he repeated with a shrug. “Anything?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Liam said slowly, his mind still a little fuzzy and stupid and he couldn’t stop himself. “He really likes to be eaten out.”_ _

__The small smile fell from Louis’ face as his jaw dropped. “He—I—“_ _

__“Like, _really_ likes it,” Liam added thoughtfully. “Don’t know what it is, but I’m pretty sure I’ve made him cry by just using my mouth to get him off.”_ _

__Louis’ jaw snapped shut, clenching. He took a breath, then a second, steadying himself. “You’ve…slept with Harry?” he asked._ _

__Liam couldn’t stop the drunken giggle that escaped his lips. “Mate, I’ve had him more times than you ever have,” he told him. “We were together for nearly five years.”_ _

__Louis swallowed. “I had no idea.”_ _

__“I know,” Liam snapped._ _

__“I can’t believe he—“ Louis trailed off with a shake of his head. “So it’s you, isn’t it?”_ _

__Liam frowned. “What?”_ _

__“You’re the one he’s been sleeping with, aren’t you?” Louis asked, and he didn’t even bother waiting to hear Liam’s reply, didn’t _have_ to, because it was obvious by the look on his face. “Where is he?”_ _

__“Louis, don’t—“_ _

__“Where is he?” Louis repeated, his voice quiet, jaw set in a firm line, and when Liam hesitated, Louis sighed. “Where is he, Liam?”_ _

__Liam sighed and nodded across the room where Harry was talking with Nick and Gemma, a drink in hand and a smile on his face. “I—“_ _

__“Don’t,” Louis snapped, turning on his heel and walking across the room to Harry._ _

__“Hi, babe—“_ _

__“Don’t you _hi, babe_ me,” Louis snarled, plucking the drink of Harry’s hand and shoving it at Gemma, not even caring if she was grasping it completely before letting go and he shoved at Harry’s shoulder, pushing him back against the wall._ _

__Harry gasped, frowning, reaching up to rub at his shoulder. “Louis—“_ _

__“Oi, mate, back off,” Nick said, reaching for Louis’ arm._ _

__Louis jerked his arm away and glared at Harry. “You must think I’m the biggest idiot on the planet.”_ _

__“If the shoe fits,” Nick grumbled._ _

__“Shut it, Grimshaw,” Louis snapped, not even looking at him. “Is this funny to you? Did you have a nice little laugh when we walked in, knowing I was the only person here who didn’t know you were still fucking Liam?”_ _

__Harry’s jaw dropped, his eyes instantly watered. “Louis, I—“_ _

__“That’s brilliant, Harry, absolutely _brilliant,_ ” Louis muttered, running a hand through his hair. “How long?”_ _

__“Let’s go outside, Louis,” Harry whispered, reaching for his arm._ _

__Louis took a step back, shaking his head. “I don’t want to go _outside,_ Harry,” he snapped._ _

__“I _do,_ ” Harry interrupted, grabbing Louis arm and nearly dragging him towards the front door. He ignored the mutters and glances from his family, especially his mum—oh, god, his _mum_ —and pulled Louis outside, shutting the door behind them. “Louis—“_ _

__“How long have you been fucking the fit firefighter, Harry?” Louis asked, jaw clenched and arms crossed in front of his chest._ _

__“I—“ Harry trailed off with a sigh, looking down at his feet; he knew he was caught, wasn’t even going to bother to deny it, but admitting how long it had been going on felt like rubbing salt in the wound. “A couple months.”_ _

__Louis scoffed. “A couple of months? We’ve only been engaged for a couple of months.”_ _

__“I know,” he whispered._ _

__“So, was this before or after?”_ _

__“After,” Harry told him, sniffling. “Louis, I’m so—“_ _

__“You’re not sorry, Harry,” Louis said, biting the inside of his cheek._ _

__“I _am,_ ” Harry insisted. “I feel absolutely awful that you…had to find out this way.”_ _

__“I thought it was cold feet, nerves,” he said quietly with a wave of his hand. “I thought—I thought if it was, if it was just the once, we could work through it. But it wasn’t just the once, was it?”_ _

__Harry swallowed and shook his head, avoiding Louis’ eyes._ _

__“I knew something was going on—the arguing and the fighting and you running back home,” he laughed. “Knew something was up when you came home all marked up, and it wasn’t because of me.”_ _

__Harry looked up at him. “I didn’t—“_ _

__Louis took a step forward and unbuttoned the first two buttons of Harry’s shirt, pulling the collar aside and pressing his thumb against the fading bruise. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped._ _

__“I’m so sorry,” Harry whispered. “I love you, I do—I just…”_ _

__“You’re not in this at all, are you?” Louis asked softly._ _

__Harry shook his head again, a couple of tears falling from his eyes and down his cheeks. “Louis, I—I wish I—“_ _

__“Did you _ever_ want to marry me?”_ _

__“I—I don’t _know,_ ” he admitted. “And I know that sounds awful, but I—I was with Liam for five years, and we broke up when I moved to London, and… I was never over him. But then I met you, and you’re so different than he is, I wanted—I wanted to want you. And I _do_ love you, I just…can’t marry you,” he explained softly, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. _ _

__Louis nodded slowly, taking a step back and taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “Well, this would’ve been a lot easier if you just _talked_ to me—“_ _

__“I—I didn’t know what to say,” Harry told him._ _

__Louis sighed heavily. “I don’t even know how I’m going to go back in there and—“_ _

__“I’ll do it. I’ll…tell everyone what happened. Like, not…everything, but,” he shrugged._ _

__“Right. Well, I work all week, so I trust you’ll move all of your stuff while I’m not there.”_ _

__Harry nodded._ _

__Louis swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Is there a…hotel in this town? I’d rather not stay here tonight.”_ _

__“Yeah, it’s a couple of blocks away, it’s a little bed and breakfast,” Harry told him._ _

__“Well… I’ll be on my way, then,” Louis decided, pushing past Harry and walking towards the sidewalk._ _

__“Louis, wait,” Harry called, rushing out after him. He hesitated before pulling the ring off of his fingers, placing it gently in Louis’ palm and closing his fingers around it. “I’m sorry, you never deserved any of this.”_ _

__“I know,” Louis replied stubbornly._ _

__“Just…take care of yourself?”_ _

__Louis pursed his lips and nodded, jerking his hand out of Harry’s before walking away._ _

__Harry watched him for a couple of minutes, and he dreaded going back inside. He didn’t know how he was going to face his friends, his family, his _mum_ in the wake of what had just happened. He stood there for a few moments, maybe even longer, and he jumped when he felt an arm around his waist. His eyes drifted shut and he didn’t need to turn around to know it was Liam, could tell by his smell and strong arm around his waist, and he sank back against him. “I fucked it all up,” he whispered._ _

__“A little bit,” Liam agreed, nuzzling the side of his neck. “Are you alright?”_ _

__“I don’t deserve to be alright,” he grumbled._ _

__Liam’s arm tightened around his stomach. “Yes, you do,” he assured him. “People do bad things, that doesn’t make them bad people.”_ _

__“I feel like a bad person.”_ _

__“Hey,” Liam said softly, turning Harry around in his arms. “What’s done is done, yeah? It could’ve gone smoother, you could’ve done something else, you could’ve done this, and you could’ve done that, but—at the end of the day? It’s done. Nothing can change what already happened.”_ _

__Harry nodded. “I know,” he whispered. “I just… How am I going to tell my family?”_ _

__“I’ll be right there with you,” Liam promised. “We’re in this together. We always have been.”_ _

__

__

__**epilogue…** _ _

__For maybe the fourth time in the last year and a half, Harry woke up before Liam; the chill of the November air was enough to send little goosebumps down Harry’s arms, but he ignored them. He watched Liam sleep for a moment, a fond smile on his face, and he leaned up on his elbow. He saw Thor stretch out of the corner of his eye and reached forward to rub at her belly; the cat narrowed her green eyes at him before rolling over, standing up, and jumping off of the bed. Harry pouted as he watched her prance out of the room, probably to go annoy Loki or try to ruin the new curtains Harry had just bought the week before, and he turned his attention back to Liam. He saw Liam shift under the blanket and he reached over, trailing his fingertips down the center of Liam’s chest, pausing at his navel and tracing over the trial of hair just underneath._ _

__Liam shifted under his touch, head tilting to face him as he opened his eyes slowly. “Having fun?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep._ _

__Harry grinned, walking his fingers down Liam’s abs and over his pants, trailing over his cock briefly before making way back up his chest. “Yeah,” he told him with a nod._ _

__Liam laughed, stretching his arms over his head. “Been up long?”_ _

__“No,” Harry said with a shrug, smoothing his fingers over the coarse hair lining Liam’s chest._ _

__“Excited for today?” Liam asked, reaching out to grab Harry’s wrist to stop his movements, bringing his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist._ _

__Harry grinned again, nodding and leaning in to press his lips to Liam’s quickly. “I think Thor’s tearing up the new curtains downstairs.”_ _

__“What else is new?” Liam grumbled, but he couldn’t disguise the fond tone behind his words. “What time is it?”_ _

__“Half-nine—“_ _

__Liam groaned. “I don’t have time to go for a run before we have to leave, do I?”_ _

__Harry shook his head sadly. “No, you do not have time to run for an hour,” he told him, tugging his hand out of Liam’s grip and pushing the blanket down his hips. He smiled as Liam choked out a gasp, throwing a leg over Liam’s waist and straddling his hips. “However, we do have time for a different form of exercise.”_ _

__Liam rolled his eyes, hands finding the curve of Harry’s waist easily, thumbs pressing against his hips. “Cheeky.”_ _

__“A little bit,” Harry admitted, grinding back against him._ _

__With a laugh, Liam slipped his hands across Harry’s bare hips, once more thankful for his near constant state of nudity whenever they were home, and cupped his arse._ _

__Harry hissed, fingers twisting in the sheet on either side of Liam’s body. “Li—“_ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“C’mon,” he whined, grinding back against him. He pouted as Liam laughed, making no indication that he was going to _move,_ and he reached down to pull Liam’s cock from his pants. “ _C’mon,_ Li—“_ _

__Liam sucked his lower lip into his mouth, letting Harry rub the wet head of his cock against his hole. His back arched as Harry slowly started to slide down, and he let out a curse when his mobile started ringing, disturbing the silence. “Fuck,” he exclaimed, arm flailing as he reached for his mobile._ _

__“Liam,” Harry whined, rolling over onto his back with a sigh, cock still hard against his belly._ _

__“Yeah?” Liam said, answering his phone. He was silent for a moment, nodding and mumbling in assent before hanging up and looking over at Harry. “H—“_ _

__Harry swallowed, sitting up slowly. “Alright?”_ _

__“I gotta go in—“_ _

__“But Niall’s _wedding,_ Li—“_ _

__“I know, I know,” Liam said, shaking his head and climbing out of bed. He quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt, picking up whichever jacket was closest—he was almost positive it was Harry’s newest peacoat that he had been eyeing for months—and looked for his boots. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it, I promise, there’s—there’s a big fire at the animal shelter and—“_ _

__Harry’s eyes widened and he rose up onto his knees, facing Liam. “Yeah, no, you gotta go—I know,” he said, reaching for his hand. He pulled Liam in for a kiss, fingers pressing against the white gold band around his finger, twisting it a little. “Be safe?”_ _

__“Always am. I got you to come home to, yeah?”_ _

__Harry smiled shyly, ducking his head and nodding._ _

__Liam grinned, tilting Harry’s head up with a fingertip, pressing their lips together. “I promise I’ll make it, yeah?”_ _

__“I understand if you—“_ _

__“I’ll make it,” Liam promised, sealing it with a kiss. He took a step back, but not before tightening his hold on Harry’s hand, the white gold of their rings clinking together. He couldn’t help but smile, catching Harry’s eye and pulling him in again; he could’ve spent the whole morning lying in bed, kissing the man he loved more than anything on the planet, but—he had to go, there was an animals shelter on fire and— “I love you, Harry Styles-Payne.”_ _

__Harry crinkled his nose, shaking his head. “No, I’m not hyphenating, that’s stupid. Are you going to be Liam Styles-Payne?”_ _

__“Liam Payne-Styles?”_ _

__Harry shook his head. “No. Liam Payne. Harry Payne. The Paynes.”_ _

__Liam grinned, leaning in to kiss him again. “Whatever you say, H. I’ll meet you there, yeah?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Harry said with a bit of a wistful, fond smile. “I love you, too, Liam Payne.”_ _


End file.
